Cawston named new tribal chairman

Rodney Cawston was named the new chairman of the Colville Business Council July 12 after a ceremony in which seven recently elected council members were sworn into office and positions were assigned to the 14 members of the CBC.

At the Lucy Covington Government Center near Nespelem Thursday morning, the oath of office ceremony started with traditional native American songs and drumming, and a prayer from Cawston.

Six out of the seven recently elected CBC members are new, with only Joseph Somday, representing the Keller district, winning his re-election bid. New members include Margie Hutchinson and Richard Moses, from the Omak District; Janet Wak Wak Nicholson and Andrea George, from the Nespelem District; and Richard Swan and Marvin Kheel, from the Inchelium District.

Council members are elected to two-year terms, with seven of the 14 total council members up for re-election each year.

After the seven were sworn into office, they took their seats on the council.

Cawston was the only nominee for the chairman among the council members, succeeding Michael Marchand, who was not present at the ceremony.

Cawston was elected to his first term on the council last year and chaired the Natural Resources Committee.

"I am honored and humbled to be the chairman of the Colville Tribes," Cawston said. "I look forward to a very productive year and to serving our membership, protecting and preserving our inherent tribal sovereignty, and to expanding economic development both on and outside our reservation. Our aboriginal territory is very vast and our reservation is very diverse. We have 12 tribes, each with unique legal and political histories, each with their own cultures and languages. Each of our tribes has their aboriginal homeland and those homelands are very sacred to us. Our people like to go back to those homelands, to gather, to bring our family and children, to exert our rights, protect our cultural and natural resources."

Councilmember Andy Joseph was chosen as the vice chairman in a coin toss after two consecutive ties in council voting, with Hutchinson being the other nominee.

Councilmember Karen Condon was named secretary. Council members named to committee chairmanships were: Richard Swan Sr. will chair the Law and Justice Committee; Jack Ferguson, Management and Budget; Marvin Kheel, Tribal Government; Joe Somday, Natural Resources; Joel Boyd, Employment and Education; Andy Joseph Jr., Health and Human Services; Janet Wak Wak Nicholson, Community Development; Richard Moses, Culture; Richard Swan Sr., Veterans.