Jason Unrau
Northern News Services
Monday, June 4, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - More than 200 Yellowknives Dene First Nation members have signed a petition that calls for the removal of chiefs Peter Liske, Fred Sangris and the band's ten councillors.

Allegations of mismanagement, poor public image and secretive decision-making by the two chiefs are among the reasons for the petition, said Mary Jane Martin, one of the petition's organizers.

The last straw for Martin was Liske's recent demand that MLAs remove Premier Joe Handley and that the premier, "Go back to Saskatchewan."

"Actually the last four years it seems like nothing's really been accomplished and secondly we strongly feel we should have a good leadership," said Martin, who started the petition with Joanne Tsetta, also a Yellowknives member.

"It seems (Liske and Sangris) go back and forth from here to Edmonton having meetings but with no feedback and they're travelling with our Impact Benefit Agreement and core funding money and we have every right to know where our money is going."

Another bone of contention is the change of band council election dates to September from June, when the Yellowknives Dene traditionally elect chief and council.

"We don't want our election date to change plain and simple, we want both Sangris' and Liske's resignation," said Tsetta, who presented Liske with the petition at a May 17 band council meeting.

Tsetta said she had to search out the meeting location because, according to her, it was not announced.

"I think (Liske) was angry we found him," she said, adding Liske dismissed the petition and carried on with the meeting.

"We've been left in the dark about meetings, changing the election date and we lack confidence in the chiefs," Tsetta said.

Former Yellowknives Dene Chief Richard Edjericon said he supports the petition because he wants to see the election remain in June.

"That's traditionally the date and I don't want to see that changed," he said.

George Cleary, director of Indian and Inuit Services for Indian and Northern Affairs in Yellowknife, told News/North he could not comment as he had not seen the petition. Cleary added the situation was really beyond DIAND's control as the YKDN is a custom elections band, has its own election policy and is not bound by the Indian Act for band council elections.

According to the YKDN Election Policy, members can remove a councillor by petition, if it is signed by 40 per cent of resident voters and verified by a third party appointed by the council.

As the petition has been signed by members living outside Dettah and Ndilo, including Martin, and it calls for the removal of the entire band council, it is unclear what the petition will achieve.

Approximately 450 YKDN members reside in Dettah and Ndilo and it's estimated there are 1200 members in total.

Both Liske and Sangris declined an opportunity to speak about the petition.

"I've got no comment, this is an internal matter," said Sangris.