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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Signatures are being actively collected on about 200 copies of a petition calling for the removal of Dettah Chief Ed Sangris and nine elected band councillors, said former band councillor Barbara Powless-Labelle.

Barbara Powless-Labelle says she's not backing down from her fight against the Yellowknives Dene First Nation council. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo

She is representing unnamed members of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN) who have 30 days from June 21 to get 40 per cent of voting members to sign. The band members who started the petition told Powless-Labelle they are being intimidated and asked her to be the face of the petition, she said.

"It was another member that wrote this petition," said Powless-Labelle. "They wanted to put my name as the contact because people are afraid to speak up.

"It's part of the native culture," said Powless-Labelle. "They don't talk openly, they talk within themselves because they're afraid of retribution, of having their housing, funds and positions on boards taken away."

Powless-Labelle said she doesn't know how many signatures have been collected.

"There are so many people that are working on this petition," said Powless-Labelle.

The Yellowknives Dene First Nation held a press conference Tuesday in which it responded to the allegations of corruption listed in the petition.

"There are many untruths in the petition," Sangris said.

Sangris also defended a decision to stop paying Ndilo Chief Ted Tsetta's salary and limiting his authority.

"None of these allegations came forward until (Tsetta) was disciplined," he said.

Sangris said the decision was necessary after what he felt was a breach of trust when Tsetta and former band councillor Nuni Sanspariel signed a letter sent to the prime minister's office detailing the allegations of corruption and stating that millions of dollars in diamonds had gone missing.

Tsetta said he has contracted a lawyer to challenge his dismissal as chief.

"I'm working with my lawyer right now, that's all I can say," said Tsetta in a brief telephone interview.

Tuesday's press conference was told that Tsetta had been reprimanded for missing numerous council meetings and had been making unauthorized cash withdrawals with a Yellowknives credit card. Tsetta has lost the use of the credit card, his band cellphone and the keys to the office.

The Yellowknives Dene First Nation does not have the power to remove him from office because he is an elected official.

The council is just making up rules as they go and people have no confidence in them anymore, said Powless-Labelle. The next election in Ndilo is scheduled for 2013. The next election in Dettah is set for 2015.

In 2006, Powless-Labelle asked for a forensic audit detailing how Indian Benefit Agreement funds were used. She was then banished and removed from her position on council. She spent $22,000 of her own money fighting the council in court before it was settled.

"They had to pay my legal fees in the end but there are a lot of people here that don't even have money to buy a jug of milk," said Powless-Labelle. "How would they pay for legal fees?"

She said all the council has done since then is try and discredit her. That, combined with the suspension of Tsetta, is what's keeping people from speaking publicly about their concerns, she said.

Once the petition is completed, Powless-Labelle said it will be submitted to council and sent to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development as well as the federal government.

Powless-Labelle is concerned that if the council continues as is, there won't be any hope for the future.

"I keep doing this because I have four children and nine grandchildren," she said.

"It will be amazing if there's a penny left for them."

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