Yellowknife (Dec 20/06) - After being kicked off her band council without explanation, Barbara Powless-LaBelle is fighting back, now with a powerful friend on board.

Last week, the NWT Status of Women Council wrote a letter in support of the former Yellowknives Dene councillor, and sent it to the band's council and elders' senate, Premier Joe Handley and Indian and Northern Affairs.

Lynn Brooks is lending her support to embattled Barbara Powless-LaBelle who was kicked off the Yellowknives Dene council in November. - photo courtesy of NWT Status of Women Council

Lynn Brooks, the lobby group's president, wrote on Powless-LaBelle's behalf, saying the group is "dismayed" at the council's actions.

"We recognize the ability of the Yellowknives First Nation to be self-determining," said Brooks. "What we don't recognize is the ability of any chief to be a dictator."

Powless-LaBelle, who was acclaimed as a councillor in June, was removed from council Nov. 28 after a private meeting of the band's council and elders' senate.

She was asked to leave the meeting and given no explanation as to why she was removed, she said.

The band's two chiefs, Peter Liske and Fred Sangris, also made a motion to have her band status removed, said Powless-LaBelle.

Powless-LaBelle said she has since been assured by the department of Indian and Northern Affairs that the chiefs don't have the authority to do that and her status is safe.

The former councillor said she believes she was attacked because she had been asking questions about the band's financial accountability.

This means they are "completely in contravention of their own policies," said Brooks.

Brooks quoted from a copy of the band's most recent election policy, signed by both chiefs, in her letter.

The policy states reasons a councillor can be dismissed: if they take a different job within the band, are convicted of an indictable offence, or miss three or more council meetings in a row.

For any reasons that don't fit that bill, a petition signed by at least 40 per cent of the resident Yellowknives is necessary, according to the policy. Powless-LaBelle has heard nothing of a petition.

"The two chiefs broke the law," said Muriel Betsina, an elder and former band councillor. "She shouldn't have been removed."

Betsina was present at the council meeting when Powless-LaBelle was removed.

She was the only person at the recent meeting not on the council or the elder's senate.

She said she was shocked when the chiefs asked her and Powless-LaBelle to leave.

"I was sitting by the door and they were talking really loud," she said of the discussion that ensued after they left. "It was all about Barbara."

They discussed her for three hours, said Betsina, while she and Powless-LaBelle waited outside.

Betsina said she believes the chiefs made the motion to remove the councillor because Powless-LaBelle had made a proposal requesting a complete audit of the band's past and present finances.

"She started to open a can of worms about finance," said Betsina.

Powless-LaBelle said she had created the proposal with several other councillors who were also concerned.

One big issue they had was the treatment of impact dollars coming from diamond mines.

"A lot of councillors wanted an interest-bearing trust account for the money, so we could monitor the funds and where they were going," said Powless-LaBelle.

Betsina said many people still support Powless-LaBelle "but they are too afraid to talk."

That says a lot about the leadership situation, said Powless-LaBelle.

"I think they have forgotten what their role is." she said of the chiefs.

"It's to represent the members on the band list."

Powless-LaBelle said she is circulating petitions and consulting lawyers to explore her options for getting back on council and creating some accountability.

Neither chief returned phone calls by press deadline.