Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, March 19, 2007

HAY RIVER - Leon Thomas, the first chief of West Point First Nation (WPFN), has died.

Thomas, 67, passed away March 11 from complications of pneumonia.

In the early 1990s, he was leader of the Hay River-based WPFN for its first four years and also served briefly as chief several years ago.

'I kind of see him as like the Moses of West Point,' said Herb Norwegian, grand chief of the Dehcho First Nations, explaining Thomas always brought goodness and a common-sense approach to discussions.

'He always got right to the point,' Norwegian added.

The grand chief noted Thomas came from a long line of leaders and was a very interesting character.

Thomas's niece Karen Felker said he was a person of many skills.

'By trade, he was just about everything,' she said, noting at various times he worked as a carpenter, electrician, linesman, miner, hunter and trapper, and even a barber.

However, she said her uncle loved fishing most of all. 'That was his passion. He always went back to that.'

Felker noted, when he was chief, Thomas had to deal with divisions in the band, something that is happening today with Felker and another person claiming to be chief.

'It bothered him quite a bit,' she said of the divisions in West Point, noting he once told her the disagreements existed right from the beginning of the 70-member band.