DENINU K'UE/FORT RESOLUTION - The on-again, off-again election at Fort Resolution's Deninu Ku'e First Nation (DKFN) is back on, and this time it looks like ballots will actually be cast on Nov. 2

The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) has stepped into the maze of Deninu Ku'e politics.

In an Oct. 23 letter to band council, George Cleary, INAC's director of Indian and Inuit services for the NWT, wrote that council has only two councillors - Robert Sayine and Raymond Simon - and is unable to form a quorum.

"It is therefore necessary for an election to be held as soon as possible to fill, at a minimum, the councillor positions so that quorum can be attained and governance restored," the letter stated.

Following the arrival of Cleary's letter, the postponed Nov. 2 election was back on to choose a new chief and four councillors.

In his letter, Cleary also said Louis Balsillie's four-year term as a councillor ended on Sept. 12.

That means Balsillie is no longer acting chief.

However, Balsillie argues the band's election code allows him to stay in office until a replacement is elected.

In an interview with News/North, Cleary said his understanding is that, under the band's election code, a new chief should be elected 30 days after an acting chief is appointed.

Balsillie had been acting chief since 2007, when former chief Bill Norn was ousted by council.

Since then, some band members have been disgruntled over the fact there has not been an election for a new chief and other issues, such as alleged nepotism and incompetence.

As for who is now running the band, the answer depends on who is talking.

"Our community is in chaos," said Balsillie.

However, Cleary said the First Nation still has two councillors and a co-manager from INAC.

Balsillie said a group of dissident band members met on Oct. 24 and on the following Monday, Oct. 26, basically took over the DKFN office.

"They took control," he said.

Cleary said he heard some members were at the office.

"We do not endorse that at all," he said. "We do not support that kind of activity."

Cleary said the band office is open and staff is at work.

"Things seem to be calm now that the election is back on track," he said.

Wilfred Simon, a candidate for chief and a wellness worker at DKFN, witnessed the arrival of some disgruntled band members at the office.

Some people were loud, he said, adding the RCMP was called to ensure order. "Everything was restored and the First Nation is still going."

Balsillie said he did not go to the band office last week to avoid ridicule from opponents, even though he believes he is still acting chief.

"I know I can sit in that office," he said.

Balsillie said he has not been treated fairly by band members or INAC, adding he wants a letter of apology from INAC.

"INAC should never have done what they did," he said.

Cleary's letter followed a council decision last month to postpone the Nov. 2 election.

The band's lawyer had advised council that the election be postponed until former chief Bill Norn's wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the band has been concluded.

In his letter, Cleary wrote that INAC recognizes that "confusion and turmoil" could ensue should the outcome of the court proceedings alter the band council as chosen in an election.

An election was also previously set for Oct. 5, but was postponed when an electoral officer resigned.

Without an election, Cleary wrote in his letter that INAC would have to consider alternative governance measures, possibly a third-party manager.

The four candidates for chief are Balsillie - even though he said for months he wasn't planning to run - Robert Sayine, Wilfred Simon and Therese Villeneuve.

The candidates for council are Gregory Balsillie, Louis Balsillie, Therese Beaulieu, Tommy Beaulieu, Carol Collins, Frank V. (Rocky) Lafferty, Margaret Miersch, Dave Pierrot and Patrick Simon.

Sayine hopes the election will help heal the divisions in the First Nation.

"The next chief who gets in is going to have to have to sit down and try to get people back together," he said, adding it's not good for people to be fighting and arguing in a small community.

Sayine blames much of the problems in the community on INAC, adding previous requests for help to solve the divisions were ignored.

"It left people frustrated and angry with each other," he said.

Therese Villeneuve declined to comment about the election when contacted by News/North.

Wilfred Simon, another candidate for chief, said DKFN members have developed a lot of mistrust with their government.

"I hope to bring the First Nation back to respectability," Simon said, adding some of the issues that need to be addressed are the election code, alleged nepotism for band employment, youth services, and alcohol and drug abuse.

Over the past several years, the number of councillors has gradually declined. One councillor resigned, one was removed at September's annual general assembly because he no longer lives in Fort Resolution, and the terms of Louis Balsillie and Frank V. (Rocky) Lafferty have been deemed by INAC to have ended in September.