.
Search
Email this articleE-mail this story  Letter to the EDITORWrite letter to editor  Discuss this articleOrder a classified ad

Hope for West Point

Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Apr 12/04) - West Point First Nation has a new chief and council.

More than that, there's hope the new leadership may help end the long and bitter internal disputes in the Hay River band.

However, no one is saying the divisions will vanish overnight.

Karen Thomas-Felker, who was elected chief in the March 31 vote, said the community remains divided. "

We still have to get unity," she said.

Thomas-Felker narrowly defeated her only competitor, Abner Cayen, by a vote of 13-12.

The new council includes three acclaimed members -- Sonya Cayen, Nancy Michel and Kandice Thomas.

They represent the three families making up the West Point First Nation.

An elected seat was guaranteed for a representative of each family.

The three families also each appointed an elder to sit on council. They are Ted Cayen, William Michel and Jim Thomas.

"I hope everything works out now and everyone will get along," said Sonya Cayen.

The new political structure was agreed upon during a membership meeting in early March.

At that time, the legally recognized council led by now-former chief Bobby Cayen, and a dissident council led by Thomas-Felker, agreed to make way for new elections.