Can you prove who sits on your board? For the Hannahville Indian Community Financing and Building Authority (FBA), the answer is harder than it should be.

The FBA was created under a federal charter approved on October 28, 1997. Its job is to buy property, lease tribal land, and pay for new buildings for the Tribe. The Tribal Council appoints its directors.

1997: The founding board is on record

The charter itself names the first seven directors, with staggered terms so the whole board would never turn over at once.

• 1-year terms: Mary Lou Meshigaud, Lori Meshigaud
• 2-year terms: Leroy Wandahsega, Darrell Wandahsega, Harry Williams
• 3-year terms: Kenneth Meshigaud, Anna Uskilith Larson

2011: The board is reappointed, but the record is missing

In 2011, the Tribal Council reappointed the FBA board by a unanimous resolution. I know this because I served as Chairperson of that board.

But today, I cannot get verification of who else was appointed with me. The resolution that should answer that question has not been produced.

This is board drift

Board drift happens when a board keeps going but the paperwork behind it falls away. Terms expire without notice. Appointments are not recorded or cannot be found. Over time, no one can say for sure who holds a seat.

That matters because a board’s power comes from proper appointment. If no one can prove who was appointed, the board’s decisions, contracts, and spending can all be questioned.

• The charter requires a record. The Tribal Council appoints directors as the FBA’s shareholder, and must fill any vacancy within 30 days.
• The charter requires books to be kept. Records and minutes must be kept for 7 years and be open to the Council.
• Yet gaps remain. No record is on hand for the boards between 2000 and 2011, for the full 2011 board, or for the years since.

Why I am sharing this

I served on this board as a founding director in 1997 and as Chairperson in 2011. If someone who chaired the board cannot confirm who served with him, other boards in our community likely face the same problem. That is part of why I started Potawatomi Life: board members serve best when the documents behind their seats are kept and understood.

— Leroy Wandahsega II

Help fill in the record

If you have a copy of the 2011 Tribal Council resolution reappointing the FBA board, or records of who served in any year since 1997, please email potawatomilife@gmail.com.

New to a board? Download our free one-page handout: Know Your Role: Financing and Building Authority Board.