Truth in Focus | Follow the Money — Part 1 of 6
By Steven Bullcoming Haworth | Collaborator: Corry Bullcoming Haworth | Version 1.4 (2026)
A tribal check for $8,127, issued on October 25, 2021, is at the center of questions about public spending, financial controls and conflicts of interest within the Northern Cheyenne tribal government.
The check was payable to D&R Disposal, a Colstrip business. It appears on page 18 of a 47-page report issued by the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council on March 21, 2022. The council specifically alleged that then-President Donna Fisher signed the check, which included payment for work on her personal septic system.
The supporting records provide more detail. Page 19 contains an ARPA Public Works payment voucher listing four invoices totaling $8,127. Page 20 contains D&R Disposal invoice #21-080, dated June 18, 2021. That invoice includes a $200 septic-cleaning charge identified with Donna Fisher, another $200 service, and $138 in mileage, for a total of $538.
The $8,127 check was paid to D&R Disposal, not directly to Fisher. Nevertheless, the invoice, the reproduced check and the council’s identification of its signer raise questions about how a payment containing an apparent personal benefit was authorized.
The Northern Cheyenne Constitution and Bylaws establish ethical standards for tribal officials. Article VII, Section 2(c), addresses the use of tribal funds or resources for personal benefit, while Section 2(f) concerns knowingly improper claims. The Tribe’s Financial Management Manual also establishes documentation, approval and check-signing procedures.
The question is not simply whether the president had authority to sign tribal checks. It is whether the particular transaction complied with applicable program eligibility rules, conflict-of-interest safeguards and financial approval procedures.
The published voucher shows an ARPA director’s approval. Other approval fields on the reproduced form appear blank. Those visible omissions deserve further examination, although they do not establish that no additional approvals existed elsewhere.
Readers deserve answers to several specific questions. Who requested the septic service? Was the property eligible for assistance under an approved tribal program? Who authorized the work, verified the charges and reviewed the payment? Was any potential conflict disclosed, and did the president participate in approving a personal benefit?
The original check, voucher and invoice are available for public examination. Truth in Focus will continue comparing these records with the applicable tribal laws, financial policies and any subsequent documentation or responses.
Read the original records
The check (page 18), payment voucher (page 19) and D&R Disposal invoice (page 20) appear in the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council membership report, March 21, 2022. For archival context, see the Truth in Focus Record Room source index.
Related laws and policies: Northern Cheyenne Constitution and Bylaws, Article VII; Financial Management Manual (2020), Section 5; and Procurement and Purchasing Manual (2015), Section 9.A.
The 2022 council statement is an attributed source in an official political dispute; the reproduced check and invoice are attached exhibits. This article does not report a court or audit finding of wrongdoing. On November 1, 2026, Truth in Focus sent a request for comment concerning the D&R payment and related 2022 proceedings to an office email identified with Donna Fisher; no response was found in that thread as of publication. Other outreach to Melissa Fisher and tribal officials concerned broader governance and election questions, not necessarily this specific payment. Alicia Cano has acknowledged an earlier election-information request. Truth in Focus welcomes documentation, corrections and responses.
Copyright © 2026 Steven Bullcoming Haworth & Corry Bullcoming Haworth. All rights reserved.