Eugene Little Coyote
Encyclopedia
Eugene Little Coyote was the president of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation
from 2004 to 2007. He was elected in November 2004, defeating the incumbent president, Geri Small. However, after a conflict with reservation vice president Rick Wolfname that began in July 2007 escalated, the Northern Cheyenne tribal council declared that it would oust Little Coyote as the tribe's president. Little Coyote was forcibly removed from office and arrested for trespassing in the tribal office building on December 28, 2007. It is worth noting that the move by the tribal council to remove Little Coyote from office was deemed unconstitutional and void by the Northern Cheyenne Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court was however overruled by Bureau of Indian Affairs
' regional director Ed Parisian, and later the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Carl J. Artman
. Their involvement in this matter set a historical precedence of the BIA directly meddling with tribal governments.
Little Coyote was also a write-in candidate
for April 2008 election and a candidate for the September 30, 2008 primary election.
On August 14, 2008 a jury trial found Little Coyote not guilty on charges of criminal mischief based on the events from December 28, 2007. The jury verdict was unanimous.
Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation
The Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, formerly named the Tongue River Indian Reservation, is an Indian reservation that is home to the Northern Cheyenne tribe of the Native Americans. It is located around the small towns of Lame Deer and Ashland, Montana, in parts of Rosebud and Big Horn...
from 2004 to 2007. He was elected in November 2004, defeating the incumbent president, Geri Small. However, after a conflict with reservation vice president Rick Wolfname that began in July 2007 escalated, the Northern Cheyenne tribal council declared that it would oust Little Coyote as the tribe's president. Little Coyote was forcibly removed from office and arrested for trespassing in the tribal office building on December 28, 2007. It is worth noting that the move by the tribal council to remove Little Coyote from office was deemed unconstitutional and void by the Northern Cheyenne Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court was however overruled by Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
' regional director Ed Parisian, and later the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Carl J. Artman
Carl J. Artman
Carl J. Artman served as the United States Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs with jurisdiction over the Office of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education from 2007 to 2008, and he served as the Associate Solicitor for Indian Affairs at the...
. Their involvement in this matter set a historical precedence of the BIA directly meddling with tribal governments.
Little Coyote was also a write-in candidate
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
for April 2008 election and a candidate for the September 30, 2008 primary election.
On August 14, 2008 a jury trial found Little Coyote not guilty on charges of criminal mischief based on the events from December 28, 2007. The jury verdict was unanimous.