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THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
Three candidates are facing off to become the next chief of Salt River First Nation.

The would-be chiefs are Henry Beaver, Connie Benwell and David Poitras.

The new chief will be chosen in a Dec. 6 byelection to complete the year remaining in the term of Frieda Martselos, who resigned in early September.

The Fort Smith-based Salt River First Nation has a reputation of being a divided band, and each of the three candidates recognizes that.

Poitras said he has heard from many band members that they expect the new chief to make headway in repairing the divisions.

"My policy is: I'm talking to everybody before the election and I'm talking to everybody after the election," he said. "I will not take sides. I will not favour one group or the other. I will work with everyone."

Poitras said the divisions in the band go way back.

"Some of the families are going to have to be willing to sit down and talk, and let bygones be bygones," he said. "I know that is going to be difficult and it will take time, but it's not impossible."

Benwell said Salt River has had a reputation as a divided band for a long time.

"I'm hoping that I can bring people together and stop all that in-house fighting and family feuding," she said.

Benwell said she has a few things in mind to start the healing, such as opening up the gathering room in the basement of the band office a few times a week for things such as a sewing circle, storytelling, tea and bannock, and activities for teenagers.

"Start getting to know each other all over again," she said.

Beaver said he believes he can make a difference in getting people together, agreeing the band is divided in some ways.

"There are differences and different opinions, and everybody has their own opinion," he said, noting he'd listen to everyone's opinion. "How I look at this thing is: I want to be able to try to bring the people back together and to work collectively to move the band ahead so that we're able to work for the betterment of our young people and the future of Salt River."

All three candidates share some similar goals for the band - economic development, education, better housing and jobs for members - and all say they were asked to run by band members.

Beaver has been chief of the band on several occasions, dating back to the early 1970s when it was known as the Fitz-Smith Native Band before it split into Salt River and Smith's Landing First Nation. His last year as chief was 1990.

"Probably altogether about eight years," he said of his time as leader, noting he also spent about six years as a councillor.

"I have a lot of experience from the meetings that I've went to and the people that I've talked to and the elders that I've met over the years," he said.

Beaver had to take a leave of absence from his job as project manager for Salt River in order to run for chief. If his election bid is unsuccessful, he hopes to return to that job.

The 62-year-old added he can understand people.

"I'm friendly with everybody," he said. "I say hi to everybody. I don't get mad very often to anybody. I may get pissed off at things, but I try to make sense of it, make sense of what's going on. I also like working hard."

Benwell, 50, is currently a band councillor.

"Politics interests me and I've always been interested in our band," she said.

Benwell, who has a bachelor of education degree, was teaching at the Aboriginal HeadStart program before she had to step down from that band position when she became a councillor.

She describes herself as a fair person.

"I get along with pretty much everybody and I know all our members, not so much the ones out of Fort Smith, but the ones here in town," she said. "I basically know all their concerns that they've been saying. I've been listening to their concerns for the last long while and I hear them, and I'd like to get things going for them. Their main concerns are feeding their families and paying their bills. They want to work."

Poitras, who describes himself as a people person, believes he can be effective in making some needed changes for Salt River First Nation.

"I think, right now, we need to lay the groundwork for some planning," he said. "We need a vision statement, a mission statement, goals and objectives for the next five years so we move into the future with a plan, and not in a haphazard way."

Poitras served as a councillor and as sub-chief in the late 1980s, and was band manager several years ago.

In the two most recent elections for chief, he lost to Martselos.

Poitras, 67, is retired from a long career as a community development worker, which included nine years managing the alcohol and drug program in Fort Smith and several years managing the culture program at Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre on the Hay River Reserve.

"I'm an excellent listener, and I believe that's what's needed right now is someone that will listen to people," he said. "The other thing is I believe I'm an excellent communicator. I can speak at the local level, the national level. It doesn't matter to me."

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