Red Lake chair agrees to step down after feds accuse child welfare program of neglect
The band says Darrell Seki Sr. has agreed to resign from office, but Seki has denied that he has stepped down yet
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Red Lake Nation Chairman Darrell Seki Sr. has agreed to resign from office, the tribe said in a statement on Friday. However, Seki has denied that he has stepped down yet.
In the statement, Red Lake Nation said the tribal council “engaged in a difficult but necessary discussion” and asked Seki to step down from his position in two weeks and the chair agreed.
Rumors of Seki’s resignation had circulated throughout the day Friday and comes after the Department of the Interior released an 11-page document describing the legal justification for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Sept. 10 takeover of the tribe’s family and children’s services program.
The “reassumption notice” accused the tribe’s child welfare program, Ombimindwaa Gidinawemaaganinaadog, of a pattern of inaction while children were “neglected, abused, and malnourished.”
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According to the Red Lake statement, Seki acknowledged that “important information” was not shared with the Tribal Council.
"[Seki] acknowledged that mistakes were made in how important information was not communicated to the Tribal Council, and agreed to step down," the statement reads.
"We recognize the difficulty of these circumstances and respect his decision to make this announcement on his own terms as we continue working together to move our Nation forward.”
“We recognize the seriousness of these circumstances, particularly the allegations that have surfaced, the ongoing reassumption, and most importantly, the tragic loss of children’s lives. Our hearts and deepest sympathies remain with the families and community members who have experienced unimaginable loss,” the statement goes on to say.
Red Lake’s statement acknowledged that “mistakes have been made and that accountability must be part of our path forward. We are committed to conducting a thorough internal review to establish the facts, continuing the mediation process, and cooperating with the appropriate federal agencies.”
However, the Red Lake Nation Tribal Council said there were some “mistakes” in the BIA’s reassumption notice.
“We ask for patience while we are continuing to gather all facts related to the ongoing appeal. Throughout this process, our highest priorities remain the safety, well-being, and continued services of our children, families, and community members,” according to the statement.
The first official news of Seki's resignation came earlier on Friday. Thomas Barrett, elected representative from the Little Rock district of Red Lake Nation, said he was informing the community to recognize "frustration, anger and disappointment" over "recent developments" in the Red Lake Nation community and "especially the lack of communication from Tribal Council."
However, hours later, Seki issued his own statement on Facebook that he had not stepped down. Beginning his statement with an Ojibwe greeting, Seki wrote that he had not submitted his retirement.
“Aaniin my fellow Red Lake Band Members: I wanted to come let you know that as of right now I have not submitted my retirement or stepped down as your duly elected Tribal Chairman. I answer to you, the people, and you will be the first to know if or when I have more information to share," Seki wrote.
The governing body of Red Lake Nation consists of three executive tribal council members, eight representatives across the four districts, and seven hereditary chiefs.
Barrett said that while council was not aware of “the extent of the issues” he added “that does not mean we should not be asking ourselves how these things were allowed to happen.
“This has exposed larger systemic issues within our government, including communication, oversight, and the responsibilities we have as elected representatives.”
Barrett said that he believes Red Lake Nation’s membership deserves more communication than what it has received.
“I will continue pushing for answers, better communication, and the changes needed to strengthen oversight within our government,” wrote Barrett.
The notice from the Interior Department describes the deaths of as many as eight children since federal authorities began tracking the program’s activities in 2021, alleging that inaction on the part of the program may have contributed to as many as five of those deaths.
The notice also describes an “outright refusal” on the part of the Ombimindwaa program to cooperate with federal authorities in investigations related to felony level child abuse on the reservation.
Seki was first elected in 2014 and reelected to another four-year term in June. He previously served three four-year terms as the tribe’s treasurer beginning in 2002.
