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DENINU KU'E/FORT RESOLUTION - Another petition is calling for a resolution to the long-running leadership dispute at Deninu Ku'e First Nation (DKFN) in Fort Resolution.

The petition is demanding notice of an annual general assembly be posted by May 31 and that an election for a new chief and council follow.

"Otherwise, the membership will take legal action against the council and the unlawfully acting sub-chief," said Tom Unka, one of the organizers of the petition.

The Fort Resolution band has been operating with an acting chief for nearly two years.

"It's been going on for a long time and people are really, really tired of it," said Unka, adding an election should have been called six weeks after the dismissal of the previous chief.

In July of 2007, then-chief Bill Norn was suspended by council - after being elected to a four-year term five months earlier - and dismissed by council in December of that year.

Louis Balsillie, then the sub-chief, became acting chief. Balsillie said there have been two other petitions in the past two years on the issue.

The acting chief said the current petition is an initiative of a "disgruntled" band employee, referring to Unka.

Balsillie said all sorts of accusations fly around Fort Resolution about the band, especially that it wastes money.

However, he said the band is now operating on last year's money, since it has not yet received funding this fiscal year from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada or the Akaitcho Treaty 8 Tribal Corporation.

"How are we still running if we're spending money foolishly?" he said.

Unka said the latest petition was launched on May 15 and had gathered 54 signatures from band members in Fort Resolution and 29 in Yellowknife as of May 21.

Fort Resolution is home to almost 500 people, mostly Dene.

Since Norn's dismissal, Balsillie has maintained that a new election cannot be held because, if Norn is reinstated by a court after a new chief is elected, the band could end up with two chiefs.

Unka rejects that argument.

"They're using that as an excuse to stay on board," he said

Unka says there has never been a time when the band has had two chiefs.

"Billy Norn has been out since Dec. 12, 2007," he added.

That dismissal is the subject of an ongoing court action claiming wrongful dismissal.

Norn's lawyer, Katherine Peterson of Yellowknife, said work is continuing to prepare for the case in NWT Supreme Court, although no date has yet been set for a hearing.

Among other things, Unka accused the DKFN leadership of nepotism and not communicating with the band membership.

Unka also said some band members wonder whether council's term is actually up.

Balsillie said that is not the case, noting his term and that of another councillor ends in September, while the other three councillors' terms run to next year. Unka's worked for the band office for the past two-and-a-half years as environmental manager.

However, his current job status is unclear.

Unka described his status as "undetermined," while Balsillie no longer considers Unka a band employee.

"You can't go around talking your employer down," Balsillie said. "It's only commonsense."

Unka said he received a letter dated May 14 asking him to appear before the band council to discuss the situation, but he said he will only appear before a new chief and council.