Hopi chair faces complaint of misconduct
Sidney allegedly had a .311 BAC at time of incident

By Kathy Helms
Staff Writer

KYKOTSMOVI — The Hopi Tribal Council has called a special session for 9 a.m. Thursday to discuss a "complaint of misconduct" against Hopi Tribal Chairman Ivan Sidney following a June 27 incident in Winslow.

Clifford Balenquah Qotsaquahu, council representative for the Village of Bacavi, filed the complaint of misconduct July 20 after receiving copies of an incident report from Winslow Police Department.

Winslow Police Officer Ronald Chisholm Jr. responded to a disorderly conduct call shortly before 11 p.m. from the management of Adobe Inn, 1701 N. Park Drive. The manager on duty advised police that Sidney "is very intoxicated and disorderly. He has urinated all over the hall and he will not return to his room."

Cpl. Chisholm and Sgt. Arturo Zacarias Jr. responded and requested an ambulance for the chairman, who was transported to Winslow Memorial Hospital. According to police, Sidney had a blood alcohol level of .311.

Chairman Sidney, a cancer survivor, must take a number of medications. He was on personal leave at the time the incident occurred. It is not known at this time whether the combination of alcohol and medication might have skewed the blood alcohol results.

On July 17 at the quarterly meeting of the Hopi Tribal Council, Chairman Sidney voluntarily reported a medical incident, telling council, "The true facts will be reported to all the Hopi people at the appropriate time."

"I can only assure the Hopi people that I did not violate the Hopi Constitution or tribal guidelines. Nor have I violated any federal, state, county or city laws. I am innocent."

Sidney is listed on the original incident report as a juvenile.

Chisholm's report
Cpl. Chisholm, in a narrative attached to the police report, said when he arrived at Adobe Inn, he was advised by the hotel manager of a disorderly subject staying at the hotel who refused to go back to his room when asked by management.

Chisholm also was advised that the subject was Hopi Tribal Chairman Ivan Sidney. The manager said he did not want Sidney arrested, he just wanted the officer to escort him to his room, No. 117. Chisholm called Sgt. Zacarias for backup.

When Zacarias arrived, the two located Sidney in the south hallway, standing in front of room No. 133, with his hand around the doorknob. The officers approached Sidney and advised him that they were the police and that he needed to go back to his room.

Chisholm said Sidney did not respond, and the officer detected the odor of alcohol on Sidney's clothes and breath.

"At that time, Sgt. Zacarias and I placed our hands around Sidney's arms and attempted to walk him back to his room, but Sidney was unable to walk back to his room due to his intoxicated state," Chisholm wrote.

He advised Sgt. Zacarias that due to Sidney's intoxicated state that he might need medical attention and called for an ambulance.

"Before medics arrived at my location, Sgt. Zacarias and I attempted to walk Sidney outside of the hotel to meet the ambulance, but Sidney was not in any condition to walk," the report states.

Chisholm met medics on the south side of the hotel and escorted them to Sidney, who was lying in the hallway near Room 133, and also assisted medics with placing Sidney on the gurney for transport to the hospital.

Zacarias' report
After responding to the hospital, Sgt. Zacarias went through the chain of command, briefing higher-ups of the situation. He also advised hospital staff that Sidney "was not in custody, but that we had called medics for his welfare."

Zacarias said he obtained a medical release from Sidney when he had recovered to the point where he could speak and write. The officer also contacted Hopi Police Department and asked to speak with a supervisor, or Sidney's sons, Paul or Ivan Jr., who work with Hopi Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The officer said that within a few minutes he received a call from Ivan Sidney Jr. He informed him of his father's condition and asked if the family could come pick him up.

The chairman's family arrived within the hour and the officer returned to the hospital where he met with Sidney's wife, informing her that he would escort them back to the hotel to obtain the chairman's belongings, at the request of the hotel manager, upon Sidney's release from the hospital.

When they returned to the hotel, Sgt. Zacarias and Ivan Jr. waited outside the room while the chairman and Mrs. Sidney went to gather his belongings.

"After a few minutes, Ivan walked into the room and I followed behind him. Mr. Sidney was lying in bed and Mrs. Sidney informed Ivan that his dad did not want to leave," Zacarias reported.

"Ivan then called to his dad to encourage him to get back up. While he was doing so, I noticed several open containers of canned Budweiser Light Beer in the trash can and on the stand next to the bed.

"Ivan opened the refrigerator, where I observed an open 12-pack of Bud Light Beer. Mr. Sidney then sat up in bed and informed his family that he wanted another beer. Mr. Sidney then looked at me and I motioned to him to get up," Zacarias said.

"Mr. Sidney got up and walked to the refrigerator, where he grabbed the 12-pack of beer. Ivan pulled the beer away from his father and after doing so, they departed the hotel without further incident."

Sgt. Zacarias said he then went back to the hospital where he obtained Sidney's medical records. "These records indicated that Mr. Sidney had a blood alcohol level of .311," Zacarias reported.

Call for unity
Though the initial call to police dispatch reported "disorderly conduct" and that the chairman had "urinated all over the hall," there was no reference to such incidents in the police narratives.

Chairman Sidney, in a press release, maintained his innocence. "I am a public figure and political attacks come with the territory," he said. He apologized for any embarrassment the issue may cause, saying it is "unfortunate that my family, friends and the Hopi people have been misled."

Sidney's legal counsel, Randy Roberts of Simone, Roberts and Weiss Law Firm, is conducting an investigation into the allegations. "We have advised our client not to comment further on any issues until our investigation has been concluded," Roberts said.

Chairman Sidney said in the press release, "As Hopis we know our prophecy and traditions. The Hopi chose the short ear of corn. We Hopi know we will always struggle protecting our traditions, culture, language, religion and our land.

"I am here on Hopi land today to do good things for my people. You told me you did not want our water used for coal slurry. I listened. Today, Hopi is not using the N-aquifer water for coal slurry.

"You asked for a Senior Citizen Retirement Center and I asked the Hopi Tribal Council to appropriate funds to make your dream a reality. We are working toward an expansion of the Hopi Health Center, which will include a much-needed Day Surgery Unit," Sidney said.

"Today we face hard issues on the Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement, and I am prepared. It is a time for all of us to stand united rather than divided," the chairman said.