Truth in Focus | Follow the Money | Part 4 of 6 | Version 1.5 (2026)
By Steven Bullcoming Haworth | Collaborator: Corry Bullcoming Haworth
An assistance program—and a $6,000 entry
In July 2021, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe approved $1,536,000 for economic assistance to qualifying small businesses and agricultural operators affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a March 21, 2022 Tribal Council statement. The Council said People’s Partners for Community Development (PPCD) was selected to collect applications and distribute assistance. The full program rules and PPCD agreement have not yet been obtained.
The Council also said a financial transaction report listed a $6,000 payment to then-President Donna Fisher on July 23, 2021. The attached payment listings show multiple recipients and varying amounts. The Council raised the Fisher entry as an ethics concern; the entry itself does not establish a violation.
A payment is not an eligibility decision
The question is not whether a president can ever receive public assistance. An official might qualify under a general program if the same eligibility rules apply to everyone. The questions are whether Fisher met those rules, whether the decision was independently reviewed, and whether she participated in approving a benefit for herself.
The released packet does not include Fisher’s full application, eligibility analysis, supporting loss records, or an independently documented award determination. It does not resolve whether a recusal was necessary, recorded, or completed.
The Tribe’s own ethics rules
Bylaws Article VII, Section 2(c), restricts a tribal official’s use of tribal funds and resources for personal benefit, subject to lawful exceptions. Section 2(f) concerns claims known to be improper. The standards matter here, but they do not, by themselves, prove that this particular assistance payment was unlawful.
The Council’s assertion that Fisher selected PPCD to administer the program should be examined alongside its contract and approval procedures. Selecting a program administrator and approving one’s own award are not the same decision.
The documents the public needs
Truth in Focus is seeking the resolution authorizing relief, program eligibility criteria, PPCD agreement, applications and review procedures, award sign-offs, audit records, and any documented conflict disclosure. The approved $1,536,000 allocation should not be represented as the amount actually disbursed unless full program accounting confirms it.
The story is about consistent treatment of applicants and independent oversight of public money. The same test should apply to all recipients and officials.
Right of response
Truth in Focus sent Donna Fisher a request on November 1, 2026, concerning the 2022 removal proceedings and a separate D&R Disposal payment. That inquiry did not specifically ask about this $6,000 relief award. Truth in Focus welcomes her explanation, PPCD’s records, responses from the Tribe, and any corrections or additional evidence.
Primary-source documents
- Northern Cheyenne Council statement, March 21, 2022; pages 2-3, 12-17
- Northern Cheyenne Constitution and Bylaws, Article VII
- Record Room source index
Original sources, attributed allegations and unresolved questions are distinguished. Please submit firsthand documentation, corrections or responses to the Truth in Focus newsroom.
Copyright © 2026 Steven Bullcoming Haworth & Corry Bullcoming Haworth. All rights reserved.