Chilkoot Indian Association tribal administrator Dave Berry has been let go from the position. Tribal council members and staff are staying mum on the matter.
Berry said he received a letter last week signed by council president Les Katzeek containing his final paycheck with a note stating something to the effect of “the current staff has lost confidence in you.”
Berry said he couldn’t quote the letter exactly because he has forwarded it, along with his contract, to an attorney.
Katzeek declined multiple requests for comment.
The council had placed Berry on paid administrative leave several weeks ago.
The relationship between tribal staff and council is complicated because some tribal council members are also staff members, Berry said. Though the council has discretion over hiring and firing the tribal administrator, the tribal administrator oversees the staff.
For example, Harriett Brouilette is both a council member and the tribe’s administrative assistant.
“It’s a situation down there set up for failure,” Berry said.
Interim tribal administrator Scott Hansen declined comment on Berry’s departure.
“Any time these issues happen where there is friction, there is a litigation potential,” Hansen said.
Hansen said the tribe is in the middle of “cost-cutting measures” but wouldn’t say whether the cuts would result in lay-offs.
“We have limited funding and those types of things are personnel. I’d rather not deal with that until it is all over,” he said.