YELLOWKNIFE - A former Yellowknives Dene band councillor has been "banished" after council leadership re-worded a previous resolution terminating her band membership.

Barb Powless-Labelle has taken the Yellowknives Dene First Nation to court after the former band councillor was banished and kicked off council. - NNSL file photo

Barb Powless-Labelle's troubles began last fall when colleagues passed a resolution revoking her band council position and membership in the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.

Outraged by the Nov. 28, 2006 decision, Powless-Labelle went to the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND), which decided there was nothing it could do prevent the Yellowknives leadership from removing her from council. DIAND did rule the band didn't have authority to revoke her membership.

On March 13, the Yellowknives band council passed another resolution - this time stating she was "banished" from the community as opposed to wording stating that her band membership was revoked. The Yellowknives communities are Ndilo and Dettah.

The March 13 resolution states that the original Nov. 28 resolution "did not properly reflect the recommendation of the elders senate... or the intention of the band council."

The resolution is signed by Dettah chief Peter Liske, Ndilo chief Fred Sangris, and councillors Violet Sangris, Alfred Baillargeon, Philip Liske, and Bobby Drygeese.

Powless-Labelle said she can't recall anyone ever being banished from a Yellowknives community.

Banishment does occasionally occur in some Dene communities, usually for violent offences or bootlegging, but Powless-Labelle says her only crime was to ask hard questions on band finances during council meetings.

"I think they're just trying to defer from my financial questions," said Powless-Labelle.

"There's no justification for this. Why are they going to these lengths?"

She said she isn't sure why the band council amended the resolution but thought it was possible they were trying to circumvent DIAND rules preventing a band from revoking memberships without consent.

Banishment, however, does not imply that band membership has been revoked, according to an affidavit filed by Liske in response to a court action filed by Powless-Labelle. He states that banishment is a punishment that has been used by Dene for generations.

She is now taking the band council to court in attempt to get her membership and councillor's position reinstated.

In Liske's affidavit, he states that Labelle was banished because of her confrontational and angry stance in dealing with chiefs, elders and other politicians.

He points to four incidents between Aug. 18 and Nov. 24, 2006.

In his affidavit, Liske states the first incident came when Powless-Labelle "barged in" on a meeting between himself, Fred Sangris, DIAND Minister Jim Prentice and NWT director-general Bob Overvold to discuss a "personal matter."

Also in his affidavit, Liske accused Powless-Labelle of insulting elders during a Nov. 1 presentation by a NWT Housing Corp. representative of East Indian descent, stating that at one point she said: "I didn't understand a word you said... Even me, I'm more educated than the elders, and I don't think they understood."

Powless-Labelle claims she was invited to the Prentice meeting. The rest, she said, is untrue.

"I conducted myself in my role as councillor," said Powless-Labelle.

"Sure I ask questions but I never barged into anything."

Powless-Labelle was acclaimed to the Yellowknives band council in a June 26, 2006 byelection.

She was born and raised in Yellowknife, although she didn't obtain membership to the Yellowknives Dene until 1989.

Yellowknives Dene officials could not be reached for comment.