In a bizarre twist of events, a dispute between Michigan's Saginaw Chippewa Indian tribe and an official from the Bureau of Indian Affairs has erupted into a debate over fair and ethical PR practices.
Following a contentious round of tribal elections - considered unconstitutional by some - BIA Assistant Secretary Kevin Gover forced the replacement of the tribe's incumbent 10-member council with a body of newly elected officials.
Ousted tribal leaders, angered by the move, retaliated by hiring the DC-based PR firm McCarthy Communications Co. to shed light on failings within the current BIA leadership.
Gover's camp then counterattacked by faxing reporters copies of McCarthy's confidential contract with the tribal council, calling the strategies therein "shameful and unethical."
Not surprisingly, the battle has moved to the courts. Tennis anyone?