Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Snowdrift (Oct 13/03) - Three men in Lutsel K'e have been warned to change their ways or face possible banishment from the community.

Chief Archie Catholique said he wrote warning letters to the men on behalf of Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation.

Catholique alleges the men are violating the community's prohibition against alcohol and drugs.

"It's a dry community and we want to keep it that way," he said.

If the men don't "smarten up," the chief said support will be sought from the band's annual general assembly Oct. 21-23 to evict them.

The three men are not band members, but have lived in Lutsel K'e for various periods, Catholique said.

"This is not their community," he said.

The chief said the fates of the men are in their own hands.

"If they show they are going to support the laws we have here, they are welcome here. Everybody is welcome here."

The prohibition against alcohol and drugs goes back to the early 1970s, Catholique said, when many residents died in alcohol-related accidents.

When contacted, one of the men declined comment and said he knew nothing of the threatened ban.

A band member who asked not to be identified, is outraged by the warnings.

"It comes down to rumours, hearsay and allegations being made behind people's backs. We have a problem. Our leadership is not going about it in the right manner," the band member said.

"I'm embarrassed to say I'm a band member now because of what they're trying to do."