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Who is San Ildefonso Pueblo’s governor? |
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General Topics - Native America
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San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico (AP) 2-08
San Ildefonso Pueblo officials say Leon T. Roybal has been elected the tribe’s governor.
But Roybal’s predecessor, Martin W. Aguilar Jr., says he’s still governor.
The pueblo’s general council ousted Aguilar and scheduled the election to replace him.
But Aguilar said the general council does not exist.
“I’m still governor until we’ve been relieved of our duties,” he said.
Aguilar said the vote to oust him was illegal and was the product of a few disgruntled tribal members.
“The problem here is people did not want to follow the game rules,” he said.
Tribal Councilman Terrance Garcia disagreed, saying the council consists of all voting male members of the tribe who wish to participate.
The general council has greater authority than the 13-member Tribal Council, Garcia said.
Pueblo members have said they renounced Aguilar as governor after he refused to relinquish the governor’s office when an election was due.
The general council members unanimously adopted a resolution saying that as governor, Aguilar failed to convene a general council meeting to set a process for seating a new Tribal Council and new officers – traditionally done in December.
A statement faxed to media outlets said the general council decided to notify Aguilar that his term ended at the end of December and to hold elections for governor and lieutenant governor.
Aguilar was the pueblo’s lieutenant governor and became governor after Albuquerque police arrested former Gov. James Mountain on a rape charge last October. The charge was dropped in November, but Mountain had already resigned.
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