Rae (Mar 03/03) - After more than a month of persistent gossip and innuendo, a challenge to the Rae Band leadership climaxed with a passionate and often explosive public meeting last Tuesday.

Rae Band member John Mantla was one of several people who spearheaded a petition to remove chief and council from office. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

More than 300 people packed into the community's Treaty 11 office meeting hall to try and resolve the simmering dispute which at present still threatens to tear the band apart.

One side contends that a forensic audit -- amid charges of corruption and nepotism against Chief Eddie Paul Rabesca and council -- of the band's finances is long overdue.

The other side believes a select minority in the community is trying to derail the band's leadership out of confusion and jealousy.

Community members speak their minds

One by one, band members walked to the front of the hall, picked up a karaoke machine-powered microphone, and attempted to sway the audience one way or the other. The meeting started after 7 p.m. but went on past 1 a.m.

"This is the third meeting now," said band member Shirley Lafferty at the Feb. 25 meeting. "This is the second time the public made a motion. They (council) don't want to go with it because they're hiding something."

The problems began last January after alleged correspondences from former band manager Stephen Conway and his lawyer to Rabesca and council began circulating through town.

They allege that, among many other things, that Rabesca and some councillors mishandled band finances and spent money without proper authorization.

Lafferty said a motion for a forensic audit passed overwhelmingly at a public meeting held Jan. 30, but council chose to ignore it.

Another public meeting -- where a similar motion was expected to be made -- was cancelled two weeks ago.

The latest meeting, however, was allowed to continue and the anti-council membership showed up in force. With them came a petition listing 342 signatures calling for the resignation of chief and council -- enough to call for a confidence vote.

"I don't think the band council and chief want an audit done," said one of the petition proponents, John Mantla. "I'm going to ask them to step down."

Others, however, say Conway's alleged correspondences only served to distort the truth. Tlicho Grand Chief Joe Rabesca attended the meeting, and believes the letters were a cynical attempt by the former band manager to better position himself against threats of dismissal by the band.

Conway has since left his job and is nowhere to be found. It remains unclear, however, whether he was fired or left on his own accord.

"The finance people looked at it and they said there's no mismanagement of funds," the grand chief said. "People just don't want to listen to the truth."

Rabesca got up to the front of the hall himself. He warned the crowd that the current internal squabbles did not look good, and chided the opposition for making a fuss only three days before the federal government was due to initial the Tlicho Final Agreement.

"Right in the midst of all this, do we need this?" the grand chief asked. "The Rae band is making a lot of money, but there's a handful of people who are just jealous."

What's in an audit?

Ultimately, two motions were drafted by the opposition. One, to order the band to undergo a forensic audit dating back seven years, the other to request the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs to appoint an interim band manager until the audit is completed.

The opposition decided not to call for a vote on whether the chief and council should stay.

Mike Odell, the band's auditor, was called to the floor to explain the difference between a general and forensic audit.

Odell said while he never uncovered any wrongdoing since he began auditing the books in 1995, a general audit isn't as specific and doesn't delve as deep as a forensic audit.

A general audit assumes all internal checks are in control, while an forensic audit is conducted under the assumption that criminal activities may have occurred.

Odell did warn, however, that a forensic audit would be extremely time consuming and probably very expensive.

"It takes an extensive amount of time," said Odell. "I have no idea how much it would cost."

A vote finally occurred with a show of hands shortly before 1 a.m. By then more half the audience had left. Nonetheless, a vote took place with 63 in favour of the audit and 17 against.

Immediately, confusion reigned as supporters of the chief and council demanded another vote at a later date because only a minority of the band was present, while others screamed they had their chance.

Meeting chair Alphonse Nitsiza decided to call another vote, which netted similar results.

Regardless, it remains unclear whether council will accept the results.

"It's (the audit) is going to be very difficult," said Chief Eddie Paul Rabesca on Thursday. The phone call was cut short and he didn't return subsequent phone calls.