Report by Council Member Paul J. McEvers

“For three years, I have pushed to make the Blackfeet a leader in technology to drive new business and economic development and to improve governance, operations, communication with members, and image-building for the tribe.  We are now making incredible strides very quickly.”

Oki,

I am very excited to have had a part in the launch of the new Blackfeet Nation Tribal website  — it is something I have been pushing for since I was elected.  Here’s an amazing fact:  in the two weeks since the new website went live we have had over 7,500 new visitors, with nearly 50,000 pages visited!  And people are already spending a lot of time on the website:  an average of over 10 minutes, which is unheard of for a tribal website.  And every week there is more content and features being added and visitor count just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

I also have been pushing hard for three years for the Tribe to get into the technology business to pursue large federal contracts.  So I am proud to have played a role in launching Chief Mountain Technologies (CMT), a 100% Blackfeet firm.  As a point of reference, CMT will be doing the same sort of IT Services work as S&K Technologies and other lower-48 and Alaskan tribally-owned firms that have been very good money-makers and have created a large number of career-track jobs.

CMT and the new website are two example of the sort of technology vehicles that will transport us firmly into the 21^st Century, towards areas of growth and prosperity for the Blackfeet Nation

As a team player, I am happy to be part of a group pushing to the forefront new firms such as CMT – firms with enrolled members that directly contribute their own monies with a decent percentage to the tribe, instead of solely using Tribal monies for startup – firms that will benefit us all, not select families.

Chief Mountain Technologies is but an introduction to taking the Blackfeet Nation to new peaks.  With what technology has become today we could not, as a business or a tribe, afford to fall behind because today business and technology go hand in hand.

I championed change three years ago when elected, visualizing the restructure of tribal government and better economic growth – to essentially wipe out the tribal debt.

The reality is that employee work place and financial accountability is taking place.  We have cleaned up financials to just under 7 million from what was tribal debt of over 27 million in the red three years ago.  We are conducting audits and getting back on necessary timelines for credibility.

And so it goes.  More ongoing projects include assisting enrolled members incarcerated in Montana prisons and whose Blackfeet religious freedoms are now being withheld, along with supporting projects begun with youth, our most valuable resource.

The most recent undertaking has been with the Blackfeet Indian Housing Authority and Blackfeet One Stop Center – Manpower Program, the combining of manpower and my year end office monies and contributions from BIHA for the Heart Butte community.  We were able to launch a much needed new basketball court for our youth there.

This year I began the ground work for a new hand game center for our traditional games with an adequate building to meet the need.

I am happy to report that I’ve not missed a General Council meeting.  The General Council meeting day is the people’s day.  That day is reserved for all the people to voice concerns, not for them to solely listen to council.  For those reasons, I tend to listen more before adding to agenda topics.

Our tribal government is unique, unlike other non-Indian forms of government, in that we are allowed to face and speak to our representatives.

I’ve seen the upside and downside of countless issues.  Some decision making has affected us negatively as a people, such as the water agreement, its immediate and long term effects has served to further divide us.

I feel we have made some inroads in more positive moves than negative.  We are a work in progress.  We have a long road ahead. But are getting there and we will get there.

To that end, I again thank the membership for electing me, without whose support I would not have this opportunity to assist at restoring subsequent prosperity to our Blackfeet Nation.

Paul J. McEvers