ANADARKO, Okla. – An announced Kiowa election is now on the back burner.
According to a letter dated Feb. 25 from Dan Deerinwater, the regional director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Southern Plains Regional Office, a challenge has been filed with the Interior Board of Indian Appeals on behalf of claimant chairwoman Amber Toppah, thus halting the preparations for a special election first announced last month.
“Until we have a final decision, no further proceedings or action by this office will be taken to conduct a special election,” Deerinwater wrote.
The federal government has not recognized a Kiowa election since December 2010. Since then, three of the eight business committee members have either resigned or simply quit showing up to meetings. Citing a carryover clause in the tribe’s constitution, the five remaining members have claimed that they are a legitimate business committee.
Under the current Kiowa constitution, the tribe has a hearing board as its final arbiter, but it has not been fully staffed for an extended period, thus making it unable to intervene. The tribe’s election board does not have enough members to constitute a quorum and its office at the complex has been locked for several years, thus ruling out a legitimate election.
No timeline has been given for when the IBIA will take action on the appeal.
