Wednesday, June 09, 2021
Every month, the Tribal Council agenda starts the same way. The chairman calls the meeting to order, and then there’s a prayer, a roll call, a call for requested changes to the agenda and a unanimous vote to deem the ever-present list of new proposed ordinances read and tabled. That’s not how the June 1 meeting went.
“Mr. Chairman, I know it’s out of the ordinary, but I’d like to deem items two through nine read and tabled,” said Vice Chairman David Wolfe after Chairman Adam Wachacha asked for changes to the agenda.
Wolfe’s move left out Item One, an ordinance submitted by tribal member Tamara Thompson to legalize same-sex marriage on the Qualla Boundary. About 13 minutes later, Wachacha reminded Council that it had not deemed Thompson’s ordinance read and tabled.