Without those questions answered without any doubt stay far away. It amazes me how people line up to be scammed, never learning, the more "emotional" the scam the better they steal from you
I hope you take your own advice and stay away from all crypto's
Be advised that the de-centralised nature of cryptocurrencies makes the phenomena of Aurora and Maza inevitable - if not desirable - and their success or otherwise has nothing to do with council minutes, coin cloning, access to iPhones or otherwise.
Money these days lives in computers whether your a high street lard-ass or a mountain goat. At least a cryptocurrency is a damn site more accessible, meaningful and worthwhile for a native American indian than an American Express account is, especially when it's been purpose built for them.
Regarding the relevance of Litecoin and Bitcoin and why they didn't choose these, I should have thought that would be obvious to anybody who remotely understands what cryptocurrencies are about and how to lever their power. For a start they'd have to buy them. Secondly they'd be subject to the mood swings of cryptocurrency economies far larger than their entire nation, thirdly there's a huge symbolic significance and national empowerment that comes from having an independent currency that is uniquely associated with that tribe.
You're entitled to nit pick about official declarations and council meetings, but to those of us that have the least bit of incling as to the potential behind such initiatives, it's clear what's going on here. Also, the fact that it's in the Telegraph, Russia Today and New York Times (apparently) is justification enough for folks to throw a few BTC into it whether they identify with the cause or not.
That "scam" label is for jealous losers who didn't get in at ground level and can't contain themselves without venting a whole load of fickle nonsense on public forums. I'm sure if you'd stuck 0.5 BTC in at 5 satoshis you'd have stayed under your rock.
In the meantime I suggest you either make your points constructively or go and crawl back under it without further delay.