Lt. Governor Teresa Dorsett Named as Acting Governor

EL RENO, Okla., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Pursuant to Section 8 of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Law and Order Code, the Tribal Traditional Leaders removed Governor Darrell Flyingman from his duties November 13, 2009, following the certification of the General Election held November 3, 2009. The Tribal Traditional Leaders named Lt. Governor Teresa Dorsett acting Governor effective immediately.

Gov. Flyingman has been recalled twice since his election in 2007, with the tribal Supreme Court overturning the recall each time. In a recent declaration sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), citing a BIA review of the tribal court system as "dysfunctional" and Gov. Flyingman's "obvious and continued violations of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes traditional laws..." the Tribal Traditional Leaders moved to dismiss Gov. Flyingman as soon as the General Election was certified.

Defeating Gov. Flyingman in the General Election, Janice Boswell was elected Governor of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and running mate Leslie Wandrie as Lt. Governor. Both will be sworn into office January 1, 2010 to serve their 4 year term. Election results were certified November 13, 2009 by the independent New Mexico firm Ink Impressions.

"This election and assertion of authority by the Tribal Traditional Leaders will go a long way toward restoring faith in the tribal government," said Governor-elect Janice Boswell.

Previous to being elected Governor, Boswell served as the Cheyenne District-3 legislator and Faculty Recruiter for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal College.

SOURCE Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma