Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council removes Gene Small as president: ‘He is now just a civilian’

Small initiated the conflict in September 2025 when he convened three Traditional Chiefs to strip the eight council members from their elected positions. The move prompted “chaos” in the Northern Cheyenne community about who is actually in charge of the government. All eight council members voted to remove Small from office and appoint vice president Ernest Littlemouth, Sr. as interim president.

Small still claims to be the rightful president.

On Thursday, a day after his removal, he said he closed the tribe’s administrative office in Lame Deer, Montana, over public safety concerns.

Littlemouth issued a memo to tribal program directors and staff at the Little Wolf Capitol Building, saying that Small had been removed and the offices would be closed to employees until “it is determined that the workplace is safe.”

During Wednesday’s council meeting, protestors supporting Small filled the administrative offices. A tribal employee was seen on video in a confrontation with Small’s mother. Small confirmed the incident on video and said his mother didn’t do anything wrong. No criminal charges have been filed with police about any workplace safety issues at the Little Wolf Capitol Building.

Small said since he has not received any formal notification from the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the tribal council about his removal from office, he remains Northern Cheyenne president. He said he was authorized to close the Capitol building, and did so at Littlemouth’s request.

After he received the request, Small said, he told tribal leaders, “I'm still your president. But if that's what Littlemouth wants to do, then we'll honor it. I think it's a wrong move.”

The Little Wolf Capitol Building remains closed.

Ryhal Rowland, a spokesperson for the council, said the council did its legal duty after the vote on Wednesday and notified the BIA about the change in tribal leadership from Small to Littlemouth. Rowland said the Oct. 1 memo sent by Littlemouth to Small and posted on Facebook does serve as an official notice that he was removed from office.

“He actually participated,” she said. “If you watch the live feed of the removal and the little clips, he keeps commenting, so he's very well aware of it. He was removed effectively immediately on September 30.”

Several video clips posted Wednesday on Facebook show the council’s actions to remove Small.

Rowland read several text messages Small sent to a group chat with council members in which he insisted he is president.

“I have not been served with anything,” one text message from Small stated. “But we will honor the memo and be back Monday. Have a great weekend.”Small said he won’t leave office until he is notified by the BIA and will consider any routes he has to appeal.

He said the BIA has referred to the situation with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe as ”inner-tribal conflict, an in-house fight.” He continued, “They're just going to stay out of it for now until it's resolved. I think at this point, I don't know what's going to happen. I'm still president as far as I'm concerned and really until BIA probably says I ain't.”

A request for comment from BIA has not been returned.

Rowland said the council’s decision is final.

“There is no contesting it,” she said. “From what the council said Wednesday, he is now just a civilian. He's just a tribal member and cannot supersede Ernest Littlemouth’s direction.”