Eastern Shoshone Business Council Endorses Today’s Court Decision

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 14, 2026

Fort Washakie, WY– The long-awaited court case concluded today with a Final Order and Judgment issued by the Wind River Tribal Court ruling in favor of the duly elected members of the Shoshone Business Council. 

The Wind River Tribal Court held that the petition for a Special General Council meeting to be held on January 10, 2026 failed to meet the requirements of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe Election Ordinance and that the members of the Shoshone General Council lacked sufficient legal notice that removal of all six members of the Eastern Shoshone Business Council could be lawfully voted on on January 10, 2026. The outcome of the January 10, 2026 meeting that appointed a competing group as the Eastern Shoshone Business Council “disenfranchised the voters who chose the [existing Eastern Shoshone Business Council] as their elected Business Council members by replacing their elected officials with the [competing group] without an election that satisfied the election ordinance.”

The Wind River Tribal Court further held that the Shoshone Business Council responded to the petition for a Special General Council meeting to be held on January 10, 2026 pursuant to Shoshone General Council Resolutions and the Eastern Shoshone Tribe Election Ordinance. 

As the court’s opinion states, “…the Business Council is not at liberty to disregard resolutions of the General Council; instead, the Business Council has been ordered by the General Council to follow up on those resolutions and laws. Thus, the Business Council here in screening the agenda items and ensuring that the agenda items follow[] the laws set out by the General Council[s] that came before it are not disregarding their duties, they are honoring them and they do not have authority to ignore those resolutions” (emphasis in original).

The opinion goes on to say, “So, when an agenda item would violate the election ordinance, the Business Council is not just authorized, they are mandated to screen out those items. This doesn’t relegate the General Council to a position below the Business Council; rather, it requires a General Council member to follow the election ordinance’s provisions for removal of an elected official instead of disenfranchising the choice of voters.” (emphasis added).

“The Shoshone Business Council will continue to manage the day-to-day operations of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe,” said SBC Chairman Wayland Large. “We are still the duly elected officials.”

The January 10 faction members have been permanently enjoined from acting as if they are Business Council officials and contacting anyone on behalf of the Eastern Shoshone Business Council “unless and until they are elected pursuant to the Election Ordinance.” (emphasis in original).

More information regarding the decision may be forthcoming.

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