Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Providence (Mar 29/02) - Chief Sam Gargan is demanding the federal government turn over housing dollars to the Deh Gah Got'ie band, cutting out the territorial government.

Gargan said the federal government has a fiduciary obligation to provide housing to aboriginal people. He wants the Housing Corporation's programs devolved to the band council.

"We (would) control it, including developing our own policies with regard to rental, eviction and everything else," he explained, adding that administration through the GNWT absorbs too much of aboriginal funds.

Since the beginning of the year, six tenants in arrears have been evicted from Fort Providence public housing and a dozen others faced the same immediate prospect. Gargan, who met last week with Roger Allen, GNWT minister responsible for housing, said he feels the evictions were a violation of the Human Rights Act.

Michael McLeod, MLA for Deh Cho, said the government has agreed to a moratorium on further evictions until the issues and policies are examined by a working group.

He said block funding through a municipal organization may be a helpful approach, such as what is done on the Hay River Reserve.

"We have to start looking at a different delivery system because we're in trouble. We've got so many units (where) the tenants are in arrears," said McLeod.

Gargan didn't absolve band members from blame.

"The tenants still have a responsibility to pay up ... they have a duty. They sign papers, they charge up things and then they ignore it," he said. "It doesn't matter whether it's a housing situation or a grocery bill situation ... as much as we're trying to address their issues, they have to meet us half way... we're trying to walk them through that responsibility."

Furthermore, the Deh Gah Got'ie contend that the issue of property tax has to be probed, as it has been imposed on aboriginal people, Gargan contended.

"We've had, for many years, non-aboriginal people making decisions for us, and one of (them), unfortunately, is the whole issue of property tax," he said.

The band council intends to gain control of all Commissioner's land in Fort Providence via a block land transfer, making them Indian Affairs Branch lands, according to Gargan.