Yellowknife (Jan 03/07) - After being kicked off the Yellowknives Dene First Nation Band Council, then removed from the band's membership list, Barbara Powless-LaBelle is taking her fight to be re-instated to federal court.

Powless-LaBelle filed her lawsuit Dec. 19, asking for the Yellowknives Dene Band Council decision to be quashed.

She is also seeking the court costs of her legal action.

Acclaimed as a band councillor during a June 2006 by-election, Powless-LaBelle told Yellowknifer in December that she believes she was dismissed over questions she raised about mine impact benefit agreement payments to band members, which are collected by the band administration before distribution to the membership.

Dettah Chief Peter Liske has declined comment on the situation, calling it an "internal matter."

According to the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, if chiefs and council did in fact revoke her membership, such a move would be illegal under the Indian Act.

However, the department has no say over decisions to remove band councillors and First Nations' band elections in the NWT are self-regulated and aren't covered under the Indian Act. According to Powless-LaBelle, Liske ordered her to leave a Nov. 28 meeting as the remainder went in-camera.

A few hours later, Powless-LaBelle was ushered back into the meeting where Liske explained that she had been ejected from the council and the band on advice from Yellowknives elders.

Powless-LaBelle, who has been a Yellowknives Dene band member since 1989, said she was not born into band membership.

It was "transferred in" after her mother moved first from Great Bear Lake to a mission school in Fort Providence and then on to Yellowknife as a young girl.