Tthenaago/Nahanni Butte - Just six months after their last election Nahanni Butte has a new chief.

Fred Tesou was elected as chief on Oct. 29 with 31 votes compared to 18 for Priscilla Betsaka and five for Tom Betsaka. Fifty-five people out of a possible 88 eligible band members voted.

Fred Tesou: Community must work together to solve problems. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Tesou is replacing Maurice Vital who was elected on May 4. At a meeting on Oct. 9 band members and councillors passed a resolution to remove Vital as chief, said Bernice Swanson, acting band manager.

Vital was removed because of community concerns about his consumption of alcohol, said Peter Marcellais, a band councillor.

"There was too much drinking going on," Marcellais said.

The meeting on Oct. 9 was attended by a number of elders, councillors and some band members, said Marcellais.

This isn't the first time that Vital's leadership has been questioned.

In August, Vital was suspended from his duties as chief for two weeks. At the time George Tsetso, the acting chief, said the decision was made jointly between community members and band staff following a problem involving Vital and alcohol.

Vital couldn't be reached for comment on his removal by press time.

Taking the role as chief, Tesou is moving back to Nahanni Butte from Fort Simpson where he has worked for the village first as a truck driver and then as a recreation maintainer for the past eight years.

Born in Nahanni Butte, Tesou, 40, has moved between the community and Fort Simpson for more than 10 years. The mountains, the beauty of Nahanni Butte and his friends always kept him coming back, said Tesou.

Encouragement from community members led Tesou to put his name forward as chief.

"My family and some elders wanted me to run," he said.

Tesou said he was surprised at his election. Priscilla Betsaka was a strong competitor, he said.

This will be Tesou's second time as chief. He previously held the position from 1994-95. At the time the main issues were logging, oil and gas explorations around Fort Liard and the creation of jobs, said Tesou.

Current issues include the expansion of the Nahanni National Park Reserve, the Prairie Creek mine, youth and education, he said. Tesou plans to take his stance on these issues from the band membership.

"I'll just go around town and get some input on how they want to approach it and go from there," said Tesou.

Getting a consensus won't be easy.

"I know it's kind of divided between the mine and the expansion of the park," said Tesou about public option.

Tesou is counting on help from band members to work through the issue.

"Hopefully the community will work together and solve problems together," said Tesou.

"There's always a way around things."