Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, February 26, 2007

HAY RIVER - An election has been called at West Point First Nation (WPFN), the latest move in a leadership dispute at the Hay River band.

However, Karen Felker said she is still the legitimate chief and any election will be invalid.

"It won't stand up in court," she said, adding she doubts the election will even go ahead.

Her opponents on band council have called the vote for March 12 to choose a new chief and four councillors.

"They're making up the rules as they go along," Felker said, adding the dissident council members recently changed the election code without going through proper ratification meetings with band members.

The leadership dispute erupted in November, when four of the band's six current councillors ousted Felker and named Coun. Sonya Cayen acting chief.

Felker said a general meeting on Jan. 26 attracted 32 members, but failed to resolve the leadership dispute.

As of last week, the band office was closed.

Cayen, who was unavailable for comment, appears to have been accepted as chief by some groups.

In January, she represented the band in signing an agreement with the Town of Hay River and the Hay River Metis Council on dividing the community's $1.9-million share of the Community Capacity Building Fund. However, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) still recognizes Felker as the legitimate chief.

As for the upcoming election, Linda Molner, INAC's manager of indian registration, revenue and governance in Yellowknife, said, "You can't call an election if you're not in control." Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus and Dehcho Grand Chief Herb Norwegian said they want to remain neutral in the West Point dispute.

Erasmus said he would like to see the community sit down and work out its differences.

Norwegian said Dehcho First Nations is staying at arm's-length from the situation, although he did chair a December meeting at West Point in an effort to help. "It's more of an internal issue," he said.

According to Felker, the 73-member WPFN is falling back to political divisions based on family lines. "It's always been there," Felker said. "It was just laying dormant."

A new election would apparently end equal representation on council for West Point's three family groupings. In 2004, the band instituted a process under which the Cayens, Michels and Thomases. Felker belongs to the latter clan- each received guaranteed representation.

Three elders were appointed, one from each family, and three councillors were elected, again one from each family. The chief was elected at large.

"They've thrown that whole system out the door," Felker said.