Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council (2023)
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Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council
Post Office Box 256
Nixon, Nevada 89424
Telephone: (775) 574-1000
Fax (775) 574-1054
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Tribal Chambers ~ Nixon, NV
May 5, 2023
Members Present:
James Phoenix, Tribal Chairman Steven Wadsworth, Vice Chairman
Harriet Brady, Councilmember Judith Davis, Councilmember
Nathan Dunn, Councilmember Edward Ely IIJ, Councilmember
Natalia Gonzales, Councilmember John Guerrero, Councilmember
Della John, Councilmember Genevieve John, Councilmember
Note: This meeting was in-person but zoom conferencing was an option for presenters and audience.
CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Phoenix called the May 5, 2023, Regular Tribal Council meeting of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal
Council to order at 6:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Roll call was taken by Brenda A. Henry, Tribal Council Secretary. All Councilmembers were present at roll
call and a quorum was established for this meeting.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Chairman Phoenix read the agenda.
Councilmember Della John asked if the presentation by Indigenous Development LLC Solar was vetted by the
Business Office and the Film Request by Matador Network went through the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT).
Chairman Phoenix said he listened to the company and recommended them to Council, but he did speak with
Ben John afterwards.
Ms. Henry explained the film request was forwarded to Donna Noel, Natural Resources Director, and her
response was it did not have any environmental impact and was forwarded back to be placed onto the
agenda.
Mr. John said after reviewing the names of the presenters he noted they were screened out before because
there were issues with them.
It was agreed to pull the Indigenous Development LLC Solar from the agenda and to forward the film request
back to the IDT.
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council
May 5, 2023, Regular Council Meeting
Ronald Guerrero, tribal member requested to be added under new business regarding policies in regard
policies and complaints.
Brandon Serawop, tribal member requested to be added under new business regarding Code of Conduct
Councilmember Dunn motioned to approve the agenda with the removal of the presentation from Indigenous
Development LLC and to forward the New Business item #3. Film Request to IDT and to add requests from
Ronald Guerrero and Brandon Serawop including the two additions under Consent Agenda for Individual
Donations for Kelsey Smith, Brooklyn Williams, and Jeffrey Williams. Councilmember Della John seconded
the motion. Votes were nine (9) for and zero (0) opposed with zero (0) abstentions. MOTION PASSED
PUBLIC COMMENT
Don Pelt. Mr. Pelt is reporting on a request from Council regarding the accident on Interstate 80 involving
the Flyer fuel tanker truck on February 25‘. He has had nothing but roadblocks regarding the investigation
by Truckee Meadows. He made numerous requests by email and personal phone calls both to the division
chief and battalion chief trying to obtain information. He did find out they did contact the hazard team and
Clean Harbors as well as the Flyer trucking company to bring out another tanker to offload the balance of
what was spilled. There was no mention of anything involving the Nevada Department of Transportation
(NDOT). Looking at photos from Councilmember Brady it does not look like it is on NDOT’s right of way. His
recommendation is that he collaborate with Donna Noel to make a formal inquiry to the State Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) office to motivate Clean Harbors. Looks like they did additional diking from the
photographs, but it does not look like they done what they should have done, which was to remove the
contaminated soil and replace it with clean soil. He is asking for consensus from the Council to move forward
with a complaint on behalf of the Tribe to the State EPA to get more motivation to Clean Harbors and to do
what they were supposed to do. Unfortunately, being in public comment, Council could not give a directive.
Councilmember Davis stated she appreciated the update and noted because Council asked that directive of
him, the action could come from the Chairman for a directive to his department and Ms. Noel.
CONSENT AGENDA
Following items were on the Consent Agenda:
Approval of Minutes: March 3, 2023, Regular
Approval Silver State Government Relations Invoice #1213
Approval Quarles & Brady March 2023 Invoice #6592217
Approval Group Donation Request Tyson C Jim on behalf of 5‘ Grade Class Natchez
Elementary School
Approval Individual Donations Requests for Jose Velazquez, Nadia Velazquez, Tatiana
Velazquez, Jose Velazquez Jr and Natalia Gonzales.
Approval Ratification Poll Vote Elder Emergency Request Dean Barlese
Approval Sponsorship Funds for the Pyramid Lake High School Graduation Dinner.
Approval Individual Donations for Kelsey Smith & Brooklyn Williams.
Approval Individual Donation for Jeffrey Williams.
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May 5, 2023, Regular Council Meeting
Councilmember Brady requested to pull items #1 & 5 for discussion.
Councilmember Dunn requested to pull item #7 for discussion.
Councilmember Davis requested to pull items #8 & 9 for discussion.
Councilmember Dunn motioned to approve items #2 through #4, and #6 on the Consent Agenda.
Councilmember Ely seconded the motion. Votes were eight (8) for and zero (0) opposed with one (1)
abstention (Della John). MOTION PASSED
Item #1. Approval of March 3, 2023, Regular minutes.
Councilmember Brady forwarded revisions of the minutes.
Councilmember Genevieve John said on page 7 there is no period, 3" line, after her, before Mr. Wadsworth.
On the 2™4 paragraph, Councilmember Ely asked if the CEO was full time and was there... needs clarification
of the wording. Page 9, at the end, Councilmember Guerrero asked but it was noted he left, so it needs to be
noted. Councilmember Guerrero noted it was when he got sick and left but he reconnected via zoom and did
send an email.
Vice Chairman Wadsworth motioned to table the March 3, 2023, Regular TC minutes. Councilmember Ely
seconded the motion. Votes were nine (9) for and zero (0) opposed with zero (0) abstentions.
Item #5. Approval Individual Donations Requests for Jose Velazquez, Nadia Velazquez, Tatiana
Velazquez, Jose Velazquez Jr and Natalia Gonzales
Councilmember Brady said because these are grouped together, she had a concern, last year she did write a
letter to the Council specifying that there could be some underpinnings and wants to make a statement where
an elder community member came to her and talked to her about when they go places for activities they plan
it out and ensure they have the funds. The letter she is referencing was last year when this same request
came before Council, and she wrote the letter saying they need to be very mindful and careful because the
public is watching. When members see the agenda and they vote on things like this, particularly when they
have Councilmembers asking for money that could suggest the underpinnings of a quid pro quo. She is
uncomfortable with it because they are supposed to be serving the people. And with Ms. Gonzales’s response
last that she is a tribal member and is entitled to request a donation and is the same. Her argument is they
are not the same, they have the special status of being elected and are to serve the people, to give and not
take from it. She is not comfortable approving requests like this. It is important for the public to know,
especially when they see previous groups raising funds on their own. As a former mother of teenagers, she
held fundraising activities because extracurricular activities can be expensive. As public officials they receive
a stipend of $250 a meeting in addition to stipends they are given if they are sitting on any boards or
committees. She would like to stay clear of quid pro quo. Last year this came up as possibly a group request
versus individual request, it is not fair to those who submitted requests as a group who do not take advantage
of the it. Some might say, it is on them but again they are public officials. It is not good practice.
Councilmember Gonzales said she does not think it is fair to her children that she is being punished for doing
a service and being on Council. She does not hold herself higher than anyone on Council. They all have
different financial statuses; they do not make the same money. If anyone needed help on Council, they should
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May 5, 2023, Regular Council Meeting
not have to worry about being ridiculed for asking for help, which is why people are scared to ask and to be
judged.
Councilmember Dunn said she is not going to be serving in a capacity for the Tribe while she is away doing
things with her kids and there is no liability.
Councilmember Davis said she felt this should have been two separate line items since the letters were from
two separate adults. Also, noticed was that tribal membership was verified for the fifth grader but there was
no verification for the adults. Is this a practice now? If so, then she would like to see it across the board.
There was a comment from the audience that they helped their grandson write the letter for the group rate
and wanted to know what that amount was? The group rate is $250, and the individual rate is $100.
Councilmember Gonzales stated they do fundraise throughout the year for all the fees they have to pay,
especially for school.
Councilmember Davis motioned to table the individual donation requests for Jose Velazquez, Nadia
Velazquez, Tatiana Velazquez, Jose Velazquez Jr., and Natalia Gonzales until all memberships are verified.
Councilmember Ely seconded the motion. Votes were eight (8) for and zero (0) opposed with one (1)
abstention (Gonzales). MOTION PASSED
Item #7. Approval Sponsorship Funds for the Pyramid Lake High School Graduation Dinner.
Councilmember Dunn said he would approve the request, but he had questions on what they will be using
the funds for which is paying for the staff to work. They want to use part of the funds towards paying
salary. He does not feel comfortable with the language.
Councilmember Gonzales said there are those who have limited work hours which they cannot go over.
Councilmember Davis asked who is included in the sponsorship line item. Ms. Henry explained the Tribe
has sponsorships for the Eagle Staff Run, Dean’s Scholars, Pyramid Lake Rodeo, High School Graduation
Dinner, Pyramid Lake Veterans & Warriors Organization, Sacred Visions Powwow, and Hand games. These
were approved in the budget.
Councilmember Davis motioned to approve the Sponsorship Funds for the Pyramid Lake High School Dinner.
Vice Chairman Wadsworth seconded the motion. Votes were five (5) for and one (1) opposed (Dunn) with
three (3) abstentions (Genevieve John, Della John, Brady). MOTION PASSED
Items #8 & #9,
Councilmember Davis said she did not see the enrollment verifications and they do not have signatures and
the one for Mr. Williams had a letter, but it was not email by him.
Councilmember Brady motioned to table items #8 & #9, individual donation requests for Kelsey Smith,
Brooklyn Williams, and Jeffrey Williams. Councilmember Davis seconded the motion. Votes were nine (9)
for and zero (0) opposed with zero (0) abstentions. MOTION PASSED
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May 5, 2023, Regular Council Meeting
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
1. Request for Approval Agricultural Leases. Benjamin John, Business Officer
Mr. John said the attorney didn’t get the leases done, she had a lot of edits and changes because when it was
originally written there has been a lot of changes with the process, so she is removing things that don’t
need to be in the lease and is reviewing it to ensure it is good. She is currently on a trip and did not have
time when she would get back to him.
Councilmember Ely said farming season has started and Lawrence O’Daye and John Guerrero have pending
leases. What happens in the meantime? Are they allowed to continue to farm until the Tribe gets their
leases done?
Mr. John said technically, their leases have not expired yet, the original leases are still intact. He asked Ms.
Thomas, legal counsel how they would address it because it would have to go back to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA), not to approve but because they wanted to be removed as a party to the leases. They do not
do that anymore and have not done that for years. It will be between the Tribe and the lessor but
they would still like to sign off on it and file it away. In the meantime, he asked her if they could use a
special use permit? She said they could do that, or Council can make a motion to extend the original lease
because that has already been approved, to just extend it for 180 days and they can still operate under the
terms, When the new lease gets signed then those terms would kick in at that point. The 180 days would
put them at the end of August. What the Council asked for was more precise clarifications of the areas
which will be identified on a map, but they will, instead of being identified as sections, use the actual legal
description, but it is specifically to a certain section. Ms. Thomas will also update the process, when the
lessor is not honoring the terms of the lease, this is what is going to happen, so there are no questions. They
will receive a certified letter and have 10 days to respond, then termination. These are changes that are
more refined, and Ms. Pilar will update outdated information that is not used anymore. It is only twentyfive feet around the entire house, and he was told that was the entire ranch.
There was a question from the audience on why the leases were changing.
Councilmember Davis said the Council requested the changes because the acreage was different from when
the original, the prior lease was made. They wanted to narrow the acreage down and modify it to be what is
irrigated so they have better updated maps.
Mr. O’Daye said he bidded on the north side and the south side and Jolene Henry, the prior Realty Manager
approved it. Amy Roberts, BIA said it is the entire ranch except for the dwellings or the houses there.
Councilmember Ely said he understands what Mr. O’Daye is saying, his question originally was when the
previous lessor leased the place, were they allowed to irrigate both the north and south areas. And one of
the questions Mr. John relayed to them was not sure where the 70 or 78 acres were.
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Mr. John said on one map the acreage is not identified but an assessment was done with a land valuation,
and it was based on the amount they were charging per acre. The assessor completed it based on the
number of acres that were under production when he did it. For example, at the Depaoli Ranch, there were
127 acres of cultivable land they could have used but he only did an assessment on seventy-eight acres.
Even though there was a bid for the total amount, which is not what was approved and not in the lease. The
lease only reflects the amount the assessor gave them a valuation on. He was not a part of the process at
that point, so he is only assuming that is why they only allowed seventy-eight acres to be leased.
Councilmember Ely asked if that did not include the north section? Mr. John said no because at the time it
was not under cultivation when the assessor came. This is according to what is said in his notes, which was
just seventy acres. The lessors are still under the original lease, there is no need for an extension.
Councilmember Gonzales said there were issues on who maintains the irrigation ditches. Mr. John said that
will be addressed in the leases also. Typically, the first year is where they make any improvements to the
land so they can start using it, this gets credited against the second-year lease amounts. They will do a
similar thing with the ditch because it’s never been addressed by the irrigation department, one of the
terms would be they maintain the irrigation ditches to ensure they are clean which will be verified, once
they submit receipts which they will credit to the next year’s lease amount for whatever the cost to clean
the ditches themselves since the irrigation department isn’t doing it. The same with the irrigation water,
the fee will not be added but will be an addition to the lease. Another item that is changing is there will be a
cap on the amount of water which will also be one of the terms because in Nevada it is four-acre feet per
acre and if they go over, they will be violating the lease and can be a reason for termination.
Councilmember Gonzales asked if all farmers maintain the ditches that are in their areas? Mr. John said it’s
different on land assignments than leases which is why the Tribe is obligated to do certain things, it was
structured that way and in reading through BIA’s guidelines, who refers to it all the time, but it had more to
do with allotments than the Tribe’s leasing. On land assignments, the landowner is responsible for
everything. Councilmember Gonzales asked about contractors on land assignments. Mr. John said the land
assignment owner can hire whomever they want to work on their land assignments. The Irrigation
Department maintains the ditches from the diversion dam at the river down to where it goes to someone’s
land assignment. From what he has seen the irrigators do not leave Nixon and only work on the ditches
locally, so they contract out for Wadsworth. From the diversion dam in Wadsworth down to James Ranch,
where the first assignment kicks in would be managed by the Tribe because that is nobody's assignment.
Councilmember Ely asked both Mr. O’Daye and Guerrero if they were comfortable with the 180 extensions.
Mr. John said the current leases will stay in effect until they expire on the 18". They have a meeting that day
and that is when the extension will be asked for. This is the date the completed lease will be ready. They
will either accept the terms and then Council will approve then it goes to BIA. At that point they would need
an extension to cover the gap before it came back.
Mr. O’Daye said for the past few years the north side was taken away from him, but he was still paying for
it, he was paying $3,000 extra for the place and had insurance for three years even though they took the
north side away. He was confused they were not going to approve the lease that night but was told by the
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Chairman they are still working on the lease, but his original lease is still good. Mr. John said his lease
expired at the end of the month. Mr. O’Daye said his expired at the beginning of the month and they have
been working on this since December to get it approved and they are missing the irrigation already.
Mr. John said they will get him on the agenda for the next month.
a. Depaoli AG Lease
b. Urrutia AG Lease.
It was noted there was no need for a motion because the leases are still tabled.
2. Request for Approval Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Keystone Canyon Press Republishing of
Nellie Shaw-Harnar Book. Billie Jean Guerrero, Museum Director
Ms. Guerrero stated this item was tabled at the last meeting for a legal review which was completed. There
were several minor changes made. One of the main concerns from the last meeting was looking at the parties
entering the agreement, rather than have James Phoenix representing the Tribe, it would be The Pyramid
Lake Paiute Tribe and Curtis Harnar, successor to Nelly Shaw Harnar. With the warranty, adding Curtis
Harnar and/or the Tribe. With #14. Royalties, adding the Tribe as a party and adding signatures at the end
of the MOA. This request is for the republishing of a book that has been out of print, called Indians of Coo-Yuee Pah (Pyramid Lake).
Councilmember Brady said she read the attorney’s comments and one of them said he was not familiar with
how much he should charge or be receiving in royalties. This was concerning because at the last meeting she
had stated that when she was researching this a while back, it was like 10%, this is only 7% then goes to 8%.
Then it talks about the book being released in the international market and its only half of that. Then it talks
about how after two years, the publisher can decide not to have the royalties set for you to keep the royalties
so there would not be any.
Ms. Guerrero said the attorney reviewed it and the other party did not have any objections to it and because
she is not legal counsel, she does not have any objections.
Councilmember Brady wished that the Tribe’s legal counsel, Ms. Thomas, would have reviewed it because
she is more aggressive when it comes to negotiations.
Ms. Guerrero said if they release it and it is not exclusive to the Tribe, it will provide revenue for them to
come in and help support the museum and to decide how it will be used in the future. She figures it is a
standard amount they put in MOAs.
Councilmember Gonzales stated was not it the family’s wishes to get it out to the public? Ms. Guerrero said
yes it was. They are not concerned about getting rich, they just want it to be republished without paying out
of pocket a lot of money and going through what they did before and not getting a good quality product.
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Councilmember Brady asked if it will be three hundred copies, over $3,200, who will be paying for that? Ms.
Guerrero said it will come out of the Museums budget, using a purchasing of goods line item which they
purchase books from.
Councilmember Dunn motioned to approve the Memorandum of Agreement between the Pyramid Lake
Paiute Tribe and Curtis Harnar, Successor of Nellie Shaw Harnar to republish the book “Indians of Coo-Yu-ee
Pah (Pyramid Lake).” Councilmember Gonzalez seconded the motion. Votes were seven (7) for and zero (0)
opposed with two (2) abstentions (Brady, Guerrero). MOTION PASSED
Councilmember Brady commented she wished that Ms. Thomas would have reviewed the MOA so they
could get an accurate rate and she finds it concerning. She knows the family just wants to republish the
book and so does she but with the other attorney reviewing the MOA it would have been stronger. It was
disappointing to hear that Mr. Williams said it did not know what the going rate was and just left it at that.
Of course, the publisher is not going to say anything because they are about making money and they do not
want to lose it but at the same time it is good the book will be republished.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Selection NUMU Inc. Board of Directors (2 vacancies)
Councilmember Brady said even though this has been posted, wondering if they should hold off on this
decision.
Councilmember Della John asked are not they suspended until they produce the items the Council
requested? It was her understanding they were supposed to provide certain things and if they do not
receive them, they do not act on their behalf and they do not meet with them until they produce those items
otherwise, they just ignore what they ask for.
Chairman Phoenix asked Council to turn in their votes for the two individuals who submitted their
applications to be appointed to the board. There were two applicants: Brandon Serawop and Margaret
Gunshows.
Councilmember Ely stated he is not voting since they should not be taking any action on this.
Chairman Phoenix read the votes: Brandon Serawop received four votes; Margaret Gunshows received two
votes with three votes to repost.
Janet Davis, in the audience asked if NUMU Inc was still conducting business? They were waiting on the
Lodge documents, which are still in the attorney’s hands. When she left, they were still waiting on the
attorneys for them to turn over the deed. Right now, they still do not own the Lodge and NUMU Inc. is still
not doing anything to get the Lodge back to the Tribe. Why are they even conducting business with NUMU
Inc? They had not received any reports, the financials were late, they were waiting to receive minutes
forever and at that time she was getting ridiculed by Councilmember Gonzales that it was her job to
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oversee and make sure that it got done. They are three months in and in the same spot. Councilmember
Gonzales said they have not done any business with the PCC because she (Janet Davis) held off.
Councilmember’s Guerrero, Ely and Brady agreed that it was their understanding that Tribal Council
agreed not to conduct business with NUMU Inc until they submitted all the requested documents (title of
the Pyramid Lodge, completed audits, financial reports, minutes, etc.).
Chairman Phoenix responded they are at the litigation point with the Lodge, and it is currently in the
attorney’s hands. With the NUMU Inc. selection on the agenda and nobody opposed it at the time they are
continuing with the vote because they submitted their names. This was not scrapped off they are following
the agenda. Continuing with the voting: Brandon Serawop received four (4) votes, Margaret Gunshows
received two (2) votes with three (3) votes to repost.
Janet Davis said that is not a majority.
Nicholas Cortez asked if this has ever happened where Councilmembers refused to vote? He has not seen it
in minutes before. At the same time if they did not feel like it should have been voted on, they could have
made a motion to table.
Vice Chairman Wadsworth confirmed there was three (3) Councilmembers who did not vote:
Councilmembers Ely, Della John, and Brady. Since there were only three that did not vote, that is the
majority.
Chairman Phoenix confirmed Brandon Serawop to fill one vacancy on the NUMU Inc. Board of Directors
and to repost the second vacancy.
2. Discussion Memorial Removal. Jonathan Lowery
Due to an accident on the road Mr. Lowery will be late. His request moved to the end of New Business.
3. Request for Approval Food Distribution Program to Trade-in a Vehicle and Purchase a New One.
Francesca Maipi, Food Distribution Program Manager
Ms. Maipi said she is requesting approval to purchase a van for the Food Distribution Program using their
USDA funding that was set aside at the beginning of the budget year to purchase a truck which they could not
find for $108,000 that was refrigerated.
Councilmember Davis asked if the vehicle they are purchasing is $36,950 with a trade-in which is below the
$50,000 limit. Shouldn’t this have gone to the Executive Team for approval?
Ms. Maipi said she is before Council because the current interim Comptroller refused to sign the check
request and insisted, she come before Council for permission.
Councilmember Brady asked about the trade-in value and is it a done deal? Ms. Maipi said the Kelly Bluebook
value is between $20-28,000 depending on where you go, and they are offering $22,000 for the trade-in. She
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has already completed the paperwork and that is what she created the check request from the dealership is
holding the vehicle and have been for the past month.
Councilmember Davis motioned to approve the Food Distribution Program to purchase a new vehicle with a
trade in from Dodge Dealership in the amount of $36,950. Councilmember Della John seconded the motion.
Votes were nine (9) for and zero (0) opposed with zero (0) abstentions. MOTION PASSED.
Vice Chairman Wadsworth said a reason for coming to Council is the trade-in, he has not seen a vehicle
purchase with a trade-in before.
4, Discussion Tribal Sovereignty Issue. Janet Davis, tribal member
Janet Davis said she is coming before the Council because of a concern when she recently received a citation
by the Pyramid Lake Police Ranger Department. She is not refuting the ticket but is more concerned about a
bigger issue that was brought upon her. She has provided a copy of her citation along with a section of the
Constitution and Bylaws of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. She highlighted areas on the citation where it
states State of Nevada and the Justice Municipal Court, Wadsworth Justice Court. Her residence is South
Hollywood Road, Nixon and she was stopped at 50 Hollywood Road meaning she was stopped on the
Reservation Road. Instructions of the Court says to visit the web page at nevadatrafficticket.com, for the civil
infraction instructions, which is to pay on-line, and a record of finding will be forwarded to the Nevada
Department of Motor Vehicles for the state which you receive your license. It keeps mentioning Wadsworth
Justice Court, but it does say Citation #PLPD...She also presented Madge Smith-Tobey’s citation who did go
to court at the Wadsworth Justice Court. She also included attachments Article Six powers and duties of the
Pyramid Lake Tribe. Tribal Council which sates in section one, the PLPT Council shall exercise the following
powers subject to any limitations imposed by the statutes of the Constitution of the U.S. and subject further
restrictions upon such powers contained in this Constitution in the attached bylaws to promulgate
ordinances for the purpose of safeguarding the peace and safety of all residents of the reservation and to
establish courts for the education of claims or disputes and for the tribal penalizing of Indians within the
reservation charged with the omission of offenses set for in such ordinances. Presented were Article five of
Constitution Tribal Court Judicial Code, establishment of ordinances and bylaws of a tribal court on the
reservation, Amendment six section one for civil and criminal jurisdiction for tribal and non-Indians within
the exterior boundaries of the reservation and amendment seven section two the establishment of a tribal
police force. After reviewing the Constitution and the Bylaws of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe she realized
that by issuing your tribal members tickets that have anything to do with the State of Nevada and quoting
NRS statute, you are failing to do your job as leaders of this Tribe and watching out for your members. She is
not sure Council is aware of this occurring. She has spoken with Chief Parsons and is not refuting the ticket.
If members do not report to the Wadsworth Justice Court, are they going to be penalized with a warrant for
ano show because tribal members may think they have to go to Tribal Court? This is violating her civil rights
and other member’s civil rights and questions their sovereignty. The overlapping MOUs with other police
departments, and they should understand what they are. That is her issue. Chief Parsons said they were
having issues with new tickets which they have been issuing for some time now. Is the administration aware
of this because it is not right? Be aware of what your tribal members are being subjected to and take better
care of them, follow the Constitution. That is what you are here for, to understand what is permissible and
what is not. You should come to realize that by issuing your tribal members tickets, it should have nothing to
do or say State of Nevada, it should say Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe even if it is given to non-tribal people. She
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knows they received a grant but that is not the issue, the issue is they are receiving these tickets quoting NRS.
It is not your job to push NRS on the reservation. We are a government. We are the Pyramid Lake Paiute
Tribe. We are not the State of Nevada, nor do we represent them. You represent them as tribal members on
this reservation, we are a sovereign nation, we have our own government, and we have our own tribal court.
Madge Smith Tobey said she was stopped also and is not disputing the speeding ticket because she received
two already within the last six months, but she was never cited in Wadsworth Justice Court. She might have
been a little aggressive when Officer Hall came and approached her but what made her upset was that he
wanted to see her tribal enrollment card and she told the second officer she was a tribal member. He said he
still needed to see her card and she said no, do you not believe me, and she was not showing him. Their rights
are being violated. She had a long discussion with “Graham,” he said he was going to refer to the Pyramid
Lake Court, but she has not heard anything yet. This was in March and that is why it is taking her so long to
come here. She just asked Chief Parsons and he asked her the same thing, why was it taking so long to come
here, and she said she did not know when this was happening, and she was not the only one dealing with the
NRS. This should not happen if they are tribal members. Having to go to the Wadsworth Justice Court is
violating their due rights and due process. NRS should not be applied to any of them, and they should not be
treated, she is not saying they treated her badly but be treated respectfully. They have no right to ask for
their tribal ID.
Janet Davis said all natives go to tribal court with a tribal ID or not. She was cited by a Ranger at 12:27 at
night, she sat there for 45 minutes, and she got home at 1:17 am. She is not refuting the ticket, which is a day
in Court. Chief Parsons said he would get it changed to Tribal Court but until she sees a notice in writing she
will go the Wadsworth Justice Court because she does not want a warrant issued and does not want it going
on her record with the State of Nevada. She knows another person who got a ticket, and they went to court
there, and it was thrown out of tribal court so what is the point of giving a ticket? Do they know what is going
on, as leaders in the Tribe should know?
Councilmember Gonzales said they would not know unless it is brought to Council. Officers must ask for your
title because there are individuals that can be Mexican or non-Indian. Members must show a tribal ID
affiliation, so they know you are tribal.
Councilmember Guerrero said his recommendation is to take it to Tribal Court and have their request to get
it thrown out with prejudice, then they do not have to go back to Tribal Court. That is one way to go about it,
but his question is what Law & Order Code they are using at the Court house. Is it the 1972 code? And when
is it going to be amended to the new Law & Order Code?
Chief Parsons came forward to respond to the questions. With Ms. Davis’s citation, he did note they spoke
the day after she received her citation where she pointed out her concerns which were valid concerns. They
did produce a quick fix for it because it was an issue with an upgrade to the system which added things they
have not seen. And it was because Ms. Davis brought it to their attention it would still be out there. This issue
also caused him to delve deeper into the citations and this has been going on for longer than anybody realized
back to 2013. The Tribe went to automated system with tickets long before he worked here. In the system
you can go back and pull up old citations, he went back to 2013. Within the last few months there was a
section added which was because the State went to civil traffic citations, and they added a QR code, but they
were supposed to have a link to the Pyramid Lake Tribal Court, but it does not. This is what Ms. Davis brought
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Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council
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to their attention and she is correct regarding that. On the actual citation and this information has been on
there since 2013 or even longer and this is what started her looking at it with the officer and yes it was a
Ranger, but he was in training and there was an officer with him at the time. He picked the wrong court; he
selected the right Law & Order Code but the wrong court. They have the option to pick different courts, the
Wadsworth Judicial Court, or Jan Evans Juvenile Detention Center. The citation should have a header instead
of State of Nevada it should say Pyramid Lake. It does have an NRS down on the citation and the reason is
because when this was put together back in 2013 or some time back then, they were trying to put multiple
courts into one citation format. They have reached out to the vendor that writes the program to see if they
can separate format for just the Tribal Court so they could put the correct information that is needed. If that
is not possible, then maybe they can have a secondary app, one for the State and one for Tribal. Lastly if that
is not possible, they can go back to writing paper citations for just the Tribal Court and they can have these
printed, but he will have to get with the court because they receive the citations digitally. Regarding Ms.
Davis’s citation, he sent an email to the Wadsworth Court advising them of this citation and he spoke on the
phone directly with the Tribal Court Administrator and informed her personally. He asked Ms. Davis for a
mailing address because the Tribal Cour doesn’t have this information yet because the citation wasn’t
downloaded anywhere yet and he was able to intercept it in the system before it went to any court, and he
changed it to the Tribal Court but didn’t marked a court date because the Tribal Court Administrator will
need to notify Ms. Davis by mail of a new court date. Again, this was a conversation with Ms. Davis a day after
this occurred and they were able to get it taken care of. He is glad she brought this issue to him because it
had been there for years. In trying to get a separate citation format, what they are doing now is if an
officer/ranger prints off a citation to the Tribal Court, which could be either a tribal member or a native living
on the reservation or a non-native that’s been issued a civil regulation citation, they are tearing the QR code
section off to alleviate a lot of the confusion and hopefully this situation will be settled soon.
Councilmember Della John said when a tribal member gets cited by the Highway Patrol it goes straight to
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), if it digitally goes to the courts then it digitally goes to DMV.
Chief Parsons said it does not, it will not go to DMV until the court has a disposition. Once the citation has a
disposition from the court, then it is the court's responsibility to send that information to DMV. As for this
happening a lot, it is not. These two instances are the ones he knows about, if there is more then he would
like to know about them. They have checks and balances for these things and they sit in a queue for a little
bit, and they will review them. At a certain point they are automatically sent to the court that is listed for it.
The other checks and balances are if it shows up at the Wadsworth Justice Court with a Law & Order Code
on it, that is a red flag, if it shows up at Tribal Court with an NRS on it, that is a red flag. They have very good
lines of communication, and they get on the phone with each other immediately to fix it and if they cannot fix
it then the citation is void. If they cannot make proper notification to the individual that it has been changed
to a different court or a different day, then it is invalid because it is not fair if the court changes the date or
the court. And lastly with checks and balances, and he agrees it should not be up to the individual but yes,
the individual can go the Justice Court and say they are a tribal member, and they contact him, and it is
transferred over. This is the last line of defense, granted they should not have to, but they can. It is
unfortunate this had to occur, but it needed to be addressed so he could fix it. With Ms. Tobey he did not find
out about it until today, even though it occurred back on March 27*, it has not gone to court yet but on
Monday he will have the court changed.
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Councilmember Ely said it is hard to believe that this has been in effect since 2013 and there are only two
people it has affected.
Chief Parsons said it is hard to believe but due to Ms. Davis, who really looked at this, the citation prints out
long. That is what caught their attention, the QR code takes you to the State of Nevada website which was not
good. The procedures to get this taken care of were done that day, her citation had the right code but the
wrong court. It will be something he will address because it was a new officer, but he had a FTO with him
who should have caught it.
Ms. Tobey asked on the citation if this was PLPT? And why is it this here? (This was not clear but leads to
Chief Parsons response).
Chief Parsons stated her situation was different and he was hesitant to talk about it in an open forum because
one these are open cases; they have not gone to court yet although she is the defendant and choosing to bring
it forward. Ms. Tobey said she had already gone to court and talked to Terry Graham about it the next day.
Chief Parsons said her court date was the 11 but wished he had known because he could have taken care of
it quickly and addressed it with the officer but did not know about her case until right before the Council
meeting when she handed her letter to him. He praised Ms. Tobey for going to the court and talking with the
judge.
Councilmember Brady said in regard to Councilmember Della John’s idea of double jeopardy, she can see
why some people would think that by having to go to the Wadsworth Court and if they are giving up their
work time to get it handled and then being told to go back to the Tribal Court. With the technical part of the
technology part of the issue, sounds like it’s going to be corrected but she is concerned where in his report
he stated the tribal citizens weren’t going to the Wadsworth Court and there may be a disconnect because
there is proof they are being issued citations and maybe there is an issue within his department, maybe even
a rogue officer. Another concern is the rangers, why are they not enforcing at the lake, which is the Tribe’s
biggest money and that is what they were hired to do. She was concerned over the weekend, when there
were a lot of people on the beaches, and it was hot. She was at Block House beach, and she called the ranger
station to find out where the rangers were because her daughter told her nobody was there for two hours.
With summer coming up its worrisome that they are missing money going into the Tribe’s pockets because
they were short staffed anyway but then having officers being assisted with the rangers and the ranger’s job
is primarily patrolling the beaches and the east side of the lake. With the recent grant that they went after
she thought it was supposed to help the police department with backup where they would be able to rely on
other law enforcement.
Chief Parsons said that grant was replacing what they had lost, it was not an addition. Regarding the rangers,
their primary function is to look after the beaches, fishing and game hunting, and the restricted areas. They
pushed them out more to the restricted areas since they have the beach monitors because there is a lot going
on out there, encroachments and so on. They typically have one ranger on during the day, they only have two
rangers, a ranger supervisor and one in training to add to the patrol. When there is an emergency, all public
safety bands together and respond because they are peace officers. If they are driving from one area to
another, they are going to be doing area checks wherever they are and if there is some type of violation or
criminal act taking place in front of them, they are going to act because they are peace officers. Their primary
function is the beaches and they hit the beaches as best they can at least once or twice a day, but they do also
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get drawn off on animal calls. It is one ranger patrolling the entire reservation and there are a lot of issues
going on, in Wadsworth with encroachment along the river, Potato Patch area up north, and areas north of
the lake and on trails. Then on the police side, they do not have enough to staff an officer 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, so normally what they do is have one ranger on during the day and one officer so if there
is an emergency call that requires two officers, then everybody goes. But they are peace officers, and it is in
their job description. It is not running traffic and responding to police calls for service, it is not their primary
duty because they do go out and do their ranger business like they should.
Councilmember Brady said she understands but at the same time a lot of people know the scheduling and
wait it out until the rangers are off.
Chief Parsons said she is correct, that is the reason for the third ranger, and he is training at night because
that is when the training officer works. With the third ranger, they are contemplating a swing shift ranger to
cover to check the beaches at night. The police officers are busy in Nixon but primarily in Wadsworth with
most of the calls. They will see with this ranger during a swing shift to see if there is enough busy for a ranger
at night. It is something they have not done before except for big weekends like the 4* of July. The fisherman
knows when the rangers come on, people in the summertime know when they go home, and their friends
will come out after eight o’clock and the beach monitors do not work late but they are a tremendous asset.
Councilmember Gonzales asked if this is a normal process for a tribal officer to ask for a tribal ID?
Chief Parson said it is if they do not know the individual. He talked to the officer that day and he stated he
did not know Ms. Tobey. In the body video cam, he watched he clearly stated to her that he did not know her.
She said he stopped her many times, and he told her he had never stopped her before. But with that said, if
he was aware of the situation, he could have had a discussion with the officer, he is not saying Ms. Tobey
acted in this way but if the driver is not cooperating, they can still go through that extra mile to try to do their
due diligence to see if they are tribal or not. Obviously, they cannot access enrollment records, but they can
run their driver’s license or their plate and just because their address comes back as on the reservation, does
that mean there are a tribal member, not necessarily since there are non-natives living in native housing. Any
person can claim they are native ona driver's license without backing it up, but the true test is the enrollment
card. Again, if he knew about it, he could have addressed it.
Councilmember Gonzales said if there is a process that is fair to everyone across the board that might
eliminate the confusion because some people look native, and some don't. If they could get the information
out to the membership if they run into this situation, who can they contact? Chief Parsons agreed they do not
want to be stereotyping.
Ms. Tobey said she disagrees because she is indicating that you want them to show their tribal ID, she
disagrees with that.
Councilmember Davis said he explained how he is going to correct this but how long will it take? Chief
Parsons said he is not going to wait long but he must wait for the company that writes the program to get
back with him. He will try to get it done within two weeks since this is a serious issue. His question is going
to be can it be done because if it cannot then he will have citations printed.
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Councilmember Davis asked Council since this was brought to their attention, how do they get the
information out to the members? What do they do now?
Chairman Phoenix said he can put it out on their social media pages along with the police departments page.
Janet Davis requested the flyers to be changed to have NRS removed because she does not like NRS, we are
our own government, we are sovereign nation, and they need to understand that.
Karen Shaw had a question about the rangers, in the past when they would stop you, they would hold you
until the tribal police came. That is not happening because they are issuing tickets. What equipment do they
have in their vehicles, are they pacing you, how accurate is that? She thinks that is not what the rangers
should be doing.
Nicholas Cortez asked about the MOU with the Highway Patrol because they have been going into the tribal
neighborhoods and cruising around the houses.
Chief Parson said they will not come onto the reservation unless they are called for backup, but he will
address it if they inform him. If they are patrolling Wadsworth without their authority, then that is wrong,
and he does not have any information on that. What it could be is last week they had a Lyon County Juvenile
Probation Officer call and they needed to do a home visit on one of their probationers that did something in
Lyon County but lives in Wadsworth. They did call and advise them they were coming in to see that
individual, but they will always call, even Washoe County, if their alternative sentencing needs to come check
somebody on the reservation because of something that happened off the reservation. Those people have
signed a document saying yes you can come and check on them, but they have always notified them when
they are coming onto the reservation.
Councilmember Ely asked for a timeline on when he can report back to Council on the status of getting this
changed or if there is a need to start printing hard copies.
Chief Parsons said he can report back at the next meeting because he is looking to get this resolve as quickly
as possible.
5. Request for Natural Resources Department Grants. Aaron Bill, Water Quality Program
a. Approval FY24 Clean Water Act 106 Water Quality Monitoring Grant with Resolution.
Mr. Bill thanked the Council for allowing him to be on the regular agenda, usually he is on the Water Team
agenda but due to the deadline for this grant and with it being the War Memorial Holiday they would only
have a day to submit the application. This is a yearly grant renewal which they pursue every year. It is for
the 106 program which is the bedrock of the Water Quality Program. It funds both his position and the
technician and specialist positions. The only thing that is different from last year in previous cycles is that
they are requesting and received authorization from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use
$15,000 of the grant funds for the Natural Resources Department building rewiring project. The building is
antiquated, and they want to use the funds so they can use space heaters and their computers at the same
time.
Councilmember Davis motioned to approve the FY24 Clean Water Act 106 Water Quality Monitoring Grant
with Resolution. Councilmember Ely seconded the motion. Votes were eight (8) for and zero (0) opposed
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Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council
May 5, 2023, Regular Council Meeting
with one (1) abstention (Della John). MOTION PASSED. RESOLUTION NO.: PL 065-23 FY24 CLEAN
WATER ACT 106 WATER QUALITY MONITORING GRANT
b. Approval FY24 Clean Water Act 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Base Grant.
Mr. Bill said they are pursuing Section 319 of the Clean Water Act which is the Nonpoint Source Pollution
Base Grant. The difference from previous years is that EPA has doubled the grant amount they will award
them to $70,000 from $36,000. Eventually, EPA wants to see this as a full-time role, however due to
constraints of the funds from 106, they plan to fund part of the Environmental Technician under this
program. They are looking to update the assessment of the Tribal Nonpoint Source Pollution on the
reservation and to update the management plan which requires a public participation component.
Councilmember Ely motioned to approve the FY24 Clean Water Act 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Base Grant
with Resolution. Councilmember Gonzales seconded the motion. Votes were nine (9) for and zero (0)
opposed with zero (0) abstentions. MOTION PASSED. RESOLUTION NO.: PL 066-23 FY24 CLEAN
WATER ACT 319 NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION BASE GRANT
6. Request for Approval USDA LFPA Plus Grant. Francesca Maipi, Food Distribution Program Manager
Ms. Maipi is requesting to apply for the USDA LFPA Plus Grant. It is a one-time grant with a lump sum.
Councilmember Davis asked about the one-time and is there a time frame to spend the funds. Ms. Maipi said
it is a two-year period for new applications.
Councilmember Genevieve John asked who will cover the IDC? Ms. Maipi said with the funds from this grant
they would be requesting food and instead of requesting through the tribal budget money to purchase food,
they would use the tribal budget to cover the IDC.
Councilmember Davis motioned to approve the USDA LFPA Plus Grant. Councilmember Dunn seconded the
motion. Votes were nine (9) for and zero (0) opposed with zero (0) abstentions. MOTION PASSED.
Discussion Memorial Removal. Jonathan Lowery (moved from #2 under New Business)
Mr. Lowery said on April 17t he was contacted by family members via text stating his father Benjamin
Lowery Jr. and his uncle Steven Williams memorial in Wadsworth off Hill Ranch Road was removed or they
stated it was vandalized. It has been vandalized and taken down before and is an ongoing issue, but it has
been there for 30 years. They were murdered on August 22, 1993. On April 18 he contacted Chairman
Phoenix and was told he would investigate it. He was then told to file a police report in case there was some
type of legal action. The only reason he was suggesting legal action was because there were Native American
artifacts there. He was informed a construction company have moved the items. The memorial was there for
30 years, and the family would maintain it. He does have a memorial every year on the 22"4 of August, he
goes there to sing and pray and lay traditional medicine as well. He puts sweet grass, sage, cedar and has put
eagle feathers along with other sacred items. People go there to utilize them or take them. To hear, that a
construction company, either Granite or NDOT is encroaching on reservation land which is why he is bring
to Council because there are other memorials on the reservation. There are memorials that have been
standing longer than his fathers and some that have been there since last year, as you see between Nixon and
Wadsworth. Chairman Phoenix’s recommendation was to take it down the rest of the memorial. They put
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Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council
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railroad ties over there and put in a triangle so people can get in and out since it was run over the year before.
There was a non-native who ran over it with a boat who dragged the cross and everything and they put in
six-foot fence posts and railroad ties so people would at least respect that portion of it. He also spoke with
the victim’s program earlier on Tuesday, so he is trying to find out as much guidance as he can, he wants to
approach Council because he was told that land was private land, or it was leased land to NDOT or whomever
the construction company that is there. It has been there 30-years, why didn’t they approach the family
before taking those items down? They could have at least taken a picture and put it on the Tribes Facebook
page asking whose memorial is this. He considers himself the next of kin and he and his family maintain it.
To be told they have private land that is unmarked and to look across the street where there is a fence, there
are guidelines, no trespassing, et cetera. There are a lot of unmarked territory within the boundaries of the
reservation. You do not know if it is tribal land or private. There is a lot of non-native land. They have modern
technology, they have phones, there was a different way it could have gone but just hearing about it. He did
call the tribal police on the 18t, they came out to the site, Officer Stetson Lucas was the name of the officer.
He claims he was met with abrasiveness, as a tribal member, the Tribe needs to have Native American
sensitivity training, was told they have a right to the land, he had more knowledge than the Chairman and
other people he talked to about the contracts in the area. He stated this was private land and they could not
do anything about it. So, within our own boundaries, as a tribal member, approached from a non-native police
officer, he gave him an abrasive, insensitive feeling about it. If he placed an eagle feather on there it is illegal
for them to move it. His concern is about the youth that passed what about their memorials? That is why he
approached the victim’s program because this is in their realm. His suggestion is there should be an
application process for memorials, and it be placed within the Land and Resources, that way with it being a
tribal member, they would be responsible for that area of land. Not asking for a whole acre, a 20X20 plot or
something for the families to maintain. It should also be in the Law & Order Code because the memorials are
being vandalized. His second suggestion is it should be going to Tribal Court if it is within the reservation
boundaries. His request is where can he place his memorial on tribal land for his father and his uncle? He
does not know how long this process will take but as a tribal member he is placing it on Council, and it should
not take more than two weeks to figure it out. This is not just about him, there is a whole community involved.
Victim Services said there is an area across the street from Hill Ranch Road by Big Bend because that is tribal
land or within the boundaries of Big Bend, but he would like to know how this process will be established
and where he can possibly move his father’s memorial and how it will work.
Councilmember Brady said she appreciated him coming forward and understands it being emotionally
draining to keep bringing it up and writing it down will help when he must keep presenting it. She knows
that Sacred Visions has those posts around the arbor that you can dedicate to people, so that can be a way of
remembrance, but she understands that where it happened, that is hallowed ground. It would be a difficult
decision, as he was saying, to move it across the way. She knows when there was a discussion with Kyana’s
memorial, Buddiette had reached out to NDOT to figure out how the family could have a memorial there.
They were told for the memorial to not be permanent in case there was a vehicle that ran off the road, it
would not hit something that was not stationary. They also said it must be set up in a way to where it would
not be distracting to cause another wreck. She knows it frustrating, and she is hearing him, and she spoke
with Mary Dodd about it, and she ended up texting the Chairman about it. Not sure if she told you but after it
came to her attention she did go back over there and put it back and took pictures and had them posted.
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Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council
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Mr. Lowery said right after she put it back up, there was a phone call from the Chairman saying that he still
had to take it down and he told him he did not put up, it was the Victim Services Coordinator that did it. He
understands the posts at the powwow grounds but honestly would you take your family to a post or would
you go to a cross where something tragic occurred.
Councilmember Brady said he should start with the Land and Resources Committee because they would be
the ones who would give that approval.
Councilmember Guerrero said his question is to Council because he believes the area is off NDOTs right of
way and the railroad right of way and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe should have exclusive right of way
rights to them within the interior boundaries of the reservation.
Mr. Lowery said when you are talking about right of ways, they laid out there for 10 hours that day they
passed away because there was no notice of whose land it was, is it County, is it federal or is it tribal and that
is part of the frustration.
Sherry Ely-Mendes said she set up a meeting for the Chairman, herself and whoever else wanted to be
involved to talk to their tribal liaison at NDOT to see what was happening there. She was sympathetic and
cried because she did not realize that was what they did. She gave them two options to work on the issue,
from every road that NDOT builds from the middle line out, not sure of the distance out for their right of way,
within that right of way, they allow for them to take the right of way to maintain. What her suggestion was,
what they have to do because there are a lot of memorials all over Nevada for different non-tribal people and
tribal people, if it falls in their right of way, they have a process where you go to apply for an easement to
that right of way because you want a memorial there. If approved, they would erect the memorial, which is a
post with the person’s name on it. They restrict any other type of memorial, and she said that is not doable.
What they can do is find out where the right of way is and place your memorial outside of that right of way
which is then tribal land.
Councilmember Guerrero asked if that was a NDOT contract why did they notify the Tribe about it. He heard
the permit was NDOT, Granite, CEMEX, and a private property owner.
Ms. Mendes said with that road they got left out of improvements that were going on that road because
CEMEX went directly to BIA and was collaborating directly with them to get some safety measures right
around their plant located there.
Councilmember Guerrero said the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe has the inclusive right to have those rights.
Ms. Mendes said the guys from outside do not’ understand that so they are going off what is on the paper
because they allowed that before.
Councilmember Guerrero said they should have filed with the Tribe a 401 permit or a SWEPT permit and
that would tell them any removal of artifacts then they can shut them down.
Ms. Mendes said she is not sure who they went to because they did not go through the Tribe. She relayed to
Mr. Lowery that if he wants to go that route, he can call their office and they can help coordinate marking it
off, where the line is so nobody messes with it anymore.
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Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council
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Chairman Phoenix said they will get with Richard on Monday and look at the permit.
Mr. Lowery reiterated that he would need to go to the Land and Resources Committee first then to write a
letter to the Law and Order Committee to get the process started.
7. Complaint Policy Issue Ronald Guerrero.
Mr. Guerrero requested an Executive Session.
Vice Chairman Wadsworth asked if this dealt with any open cases?
Mr. Guerrero said it has to do with his grandson in court and he believes it is still an open case.
Vice Chairman Wadsworth said they do not listen to open cases.
Mr. Guerrero said he understood but Mr. Phoenix, Sherry Mendes and Brian Wadsworth did respond back to
a complaint which was an open case. That is the break in policy and that is where he wants to go with this
without bringing up his grandson or the case.
Councilmember Dunn said if they are just going to talk about the process then they do not need to go into
Executive Session. If it is an open case, they should not be hearing it.
Councilmember Guerrero stepped out of chambers at 8:31 p.m.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Councilmember Brady motioned to move into Executive Session. Councilmember Genevieve John seconded
the motion. Votes were eight (8) for and zero (0) opposed with zero (0) abstentions. MOTION PASSED.
Tribal Council moved into Executive Session at 8:34 p.m.
Councilmember Guerrero returned to chambers at 8:35 p.m.
Lawrence O’Daye stepped up to Council and announced he wanted to withdraw his renewal for his lease.
Councilmember Guerrero motioned to move out of Executive Session. Councilmember Dunn seconded the
motion. Votes were nine (9) for and zero (0) opposed with zero (0) abstentions. MOTION PASSED. Tribal
Council moved out of Executive Session at 9:08 p.m.
Tribal Council took a 5-minute break.
8. Code of Conduct Brandon Serawop.
Mr. Serawop requested an Executive Session. This is a closed court case.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Councilmember Guerrero motioned to move into Executive Session. Councilmember Brady seconded the
motion. Votes were nine (9) for and zero (0) opposed with zero (0) abstentions. MOTION PASSED. Tribal
Council moved into Executive Session at 9:14 p.m.
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Councilmember Dunn motioned to move out of Executive Session. Councilmember Brady seconded the
motion. Votes were eight (8) for and zero (0) opposed with zero (0) abstentions. MOTION PASSED. Tribal
Council moved out of Executive Session at 10:24 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
With no further business before the Tribal Council, Councilmember Davis made a motion to adjourn the
meeting. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Ely. Votes taken were all in favor, motion carried.
The meeting adjourned at 10:24 p.m.
Submitted by,
Fniacll:
Brenda A. Henry
Tribal Council Secretary
CERTIFICATION
The foregoing minutes were adopted by the Pyramid Lake Tribal Council, governing body of the Pyramid
Lake Paiute Tribe, at a meeting duly held on the 4% day of August 2023, having nine (9) members present,
constituting a quorum, by the vote of nO?) am zero (0) OPPOSED, with zero (0) ABSTENTIONS.
Minutes attested and concurred by: |
James Mogentx, Tribal Chairman
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council
//
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This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.