SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The senior chief of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN) is denying allegations of corruption and mismanagement of band finances while calling for healing within the band.

Barb Powless-Labelle says it's up to members of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation to hold band council and chiefs accountable. - Daniel Campbell/NNSL photo

A recent Federal Court decision, which ordered the band to repay ousted Ndilo chief Ted Tsetta's salary, raised questions about the band's finances.

Judge Yves de Montigny stated Tsetta's claims of corruption and the financial mismanagement of impact benefit agreement (IBA) money from NWT diamond mines were "not totally unsubstantiated and deserve at the very least to be investigated."

But Ed Sangris, chief of Dettah and senior chief of the Yellowknives, said the band leadership hasn't had an opportunity to tell their side of the story yet.

"There's a lot of information that didn't come out. As a Dene we have respect, we want to make sure we get all our facts straight. What's been reported in the paper, it's not a true accurate story," said Sangris.

Those who have made complaints about the band's management of funds haven't been showing up at community meetings to voice their concerns or look into the band's finances, he alleged.

"Those that don't show up, they'll have a lot of questions," said Sangris.

But Barb Powless-Labelle, a former band councillor and outspoken critic of the current council, said people don't protest because they aren't told when the meetings are, or they're too afraid of blowback in the community.

"How can they come out and protest if they're not told about the meeting in time?" she asked.

"We are bullied. If you don't agree you get banished. It's like public humiliation," said Powless-Labelle.

Sangris said the band is open and truthful with its membership.

"Well, maybe they feel they've been bullied because they don't like what they hear," he countered.

The band has looked into its finances before, Sangris said, spending up to $150,000 looking into the Det'on Cho Corporation in recent years.

But a preliminary report - which according to court documents found around $500,000 of diamonds were unaccounted for - only looked into Det'on Cho's diamond business, not the internal finances of the band.

Sangris said any money lost was because of a bad market for diamonds, and a lack of advertising and clientele for the product.

"And people don't like that, they just think that, 'oh we spent all the band monies, we spent the money on something we shouldn't have.' That's just not true," Sangris said.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada has confirmed government money provided to the band was handled correctly, and refused to investigate the finances of the band.

The department added money gleaned from private band corporations, like Det'on Cho, is the responsibility of the band.

Powless-Labelle agrees, saying YKDFN membership should look into it themselves.

"The government is right. It's up to the members. The membership needs to do more. They need to stand up and make these people accountable," she said.

Sangris admitted there is a lot of infighting in the band, and said as chief he is looking at healing the divisiveness. But first he wants members to show up to band meetings.

"The last community meeting we had, only about 10 people showed up. It's harder because you want to do something, you want to tell people, but people base their decision on hearsay," said Sangris.

Powless-Labelle said the only way healing can be effective is if the current leadership steps down.

"Those people should be stepping down and letting a new generation up," she said.

As for the Tsetta court decision, which shone a light into the band's divisiveness, Sangris pointed out that YKDFN still has an option of appealing.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.