Open Books, Humble Leadership,
Starting Now.
No empty promises.
We believe in accountability from day one.
We can't in good conscience make any promises before conducting a forensic audit, because we don't know what revenue is coming in or going out. Until we do, the only promises we can make honestly are:
OPEN BOOKS NOW
Running a campaign is expensive. A single postcard mailed to every tribal member can cost more than $3,000.
Those high costs could push candidates to accept large donations from businesses or outsiders who expect favors once the election is over.
We are making a different choice:
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We will only accept donations from individuals, never from outside businesses or special interests.
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We will publish all individual donations over $500.
This way, we will enter office owing no one but you.
OPEN BOOKS IN OFFICE
Transparency can't stop on Election Day. If trusted to serve, our very first step will be an immediate forensic audit of tribal finances published for all tribal members to review. Every member has the right to see where we truly stand, and we can't make any promises until we have a clear picture of expenses and revenue.
From there, we will keep the books open with quarterly expense reports so no money moves in the dark.
We believe this is what humble, accountable leadership looks like.
HUMBLE LEADERSHIP
We want to get back to our values as a people. In Cheyenne and Arapaho tradition, leaders gave to take care of the people, not the other way around.
That is why we commit to:
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Lowering the Governor’s salary to $130,000, which is based on fair market value for leadership roles in similarly sized tribes.
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Using the extra $50,000 each year to seed a new tribal nonprofit that will secure grants for housing, elder care, education, and mental health for ALL tribal members, in and out of district.
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No more expensive trips or unnecessary travel. Every trip we take will serve the people, or it will not happen.
As Albert likes to say, he has Motel 6 taste, not luxury taste. That’s the kind of leadership our people deserve: simple, humble, and service-first, treating tribal money as belonging to the tribes, not to us.
Our Vision
We can't make any promises on programs until we have a clear picture of our financial landscape, which will come with the forensic audit. But we want to share our vision to give you an idea of our priorities and thinking after the audit.
For all tribal members, in and out of district, we'd like to address both immediate needs AND long-term sovereignty. We know too often immediate needs take priority, but we believe that true sovereignty comes with not being dependent on federal monies to operate.
To address both, we have a two-prong plan:
A Non-Profit for Immediate Needs
We will create a nonprofit hub that empowers tribal members to bring forward ideas that support the community and find funding that has never before been available to us. There are millions of dollars out there in grants. This nonprofit will help us win them.
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Elders: Twice, the Tribal Council voted to increase monthly elder support. Twice, it was never delivered. Through the nonprofit, grant experts can work with tribal members to seek outside grants to ensure elders get the respect and care they deserve.
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Education: We know C&A people are among the smartest and most capable anywhere. Student success is tribal success. The nonprofit will help students find scholarships, internships, and apprenticeships, in high school, college, or trade school.
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Housing: Too many of our people face housing struggles. The nonprofit will help us win new grants for elder repairs, veterans’ housing, first-time homebuyers, and safe homes for families, filling the gaps where federal funding falls short.
Our hope is that if a tribal member has a vision to support a tribal need, the nonprofit can be a partner in turning that idea into reality through grant funding. This way, we all get to pitch in to take care of each other, getting back to our values as a people.
Government for Sovereignty
At the same time, the government must focus on building long-term security for our people. For too long, we have depended on federal dollars. Until we build financial independence from federal dollars, we cannot be fully sovereign.
In our administration, the focus would be on ensuring we make sound financial decisions so that our grandchildren and their grandchildren have strong, sovereign tribes for future generations.
The nonprofit can carry the weight of today’s needs so the government can build for tomorrow.
About Albert & Amaris
Albert Old Crow and Amaris Sweezy are running for Governor and Lieutenant Governor to bring service back to the center of leadership.
They believe decisions should always benefit the people and never be for personal gain.
Together, they are committed to listening before acting, holding themselves accountable, and planning not just for today but for the generations to come.
Their promise is simple: a government that truly belongs to the people.
