Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (June 24/02) - Bill Erasmus was on the hot seat last week at the annual general assembly of the Akaitcho Territory government.

Chiefs challenged the Dene Nation grand chief on numerous issues.

The public face-off, which was polite and intense at the same time, follows a mid-May motion by the Akaitcho leadership that Erasmus should be removed from office at the Dene Nation assembly in July.

Leading the charge at last week's assembly in Fort Smith was Chief Richard Edjericon of the Yellowknives First Nation.

In a detailed presentation, Edjericon explained a list of grievances with the Dene Nation and Erasmus's leadership.

Among them were an absence of action on resolutions, the lack of an election to make Erasmus a regional vice-chief of the Assembly of First Nations, and a suggestion that Erasmus's election in 2000 was not valid because regions voted which had withdrawn from the Dene Nation.

"The question we have is, was Bill Erasmus democratically elected using the present rules?" Edjericon asked.

The chief also said Erasmus receives a salary and has a severance package arrangement from the Assembly of First Nations without the approval of the chiefs, which violates a Dene Nation bylaw.

Edjericon said Erasmus is a good guy and means well, but it's time to rebuild the Dene Nation. "We have to make changes."

In response, Erasmus said he was not at the assembly to fight with the chiefs.

However, he suggested the challenge to his leadership originated from criminal charges laid against two chiefs' relatives who had worked for the Dene Nation.

"That has caused the problems among us," he said.

Last year, the wife of Edjericon and the sister-in-law of Yellowknives Chief Peter Liske were acquitted of charges of defrauding and stealing from the Dene Nation.

Edjericon denied his opposition to Erasmus was personally motivated, saying the problems he described were facts.

However, he did wonder who approved taking the women to court.

As for the claim that the Dene Nation does nothing, Erasmus said, "Obviously, it's not true."

And he explained the Dene Nation has an open-door policy for delegates from regions which have withdrawn from the organization in order to keep it alive.

"I believe the election was valid," he said, adding there was no way he would be involved in something that wasn't valid.

Erasmus said, if people don't want him as leader of the organization, he doesn't want the job.

"I have no reason to fight my own people," he said. "I'm not your enemy."

He suggested the issue be discussed at next month's Dene Nation assembly in Fort Simpson.

Francois Paulette, a former negotiator with Smith's Landing First Nation, said he was in favour of change in the Dene Nation, but expressed frustration with what he called personal attacks.

"You don't attack someone who is working for us nationally and internationally," Paulette said.

"I am tired of listening to that. I don't want to see that," he added. "It's embarrassing."

If the chiefs want to make changes, they should bring it up at the Dene Nation assembly in Fort Simpson, he said.

"We've got a lot of reconciliation to do," he observed.

Several chiefs and other delegates denied the issue is personal.

Yellowknives Chief Peter Liske said the matter is simply business and he wants a Dene Nation leader who will speak on the issues.

"I don't want a nice guy there," Liske said.

The Dene Nation is not unified, he added. "It's no good."

Deninu Ku'e Chief Robert Sayine said he didn't second last month's motion so Erasmus would be fired.

However, Sayine said there are problems that need to be addressed. "We need to overhaul the organization of the Dene Nation."