Dakota Tipi election scheduled for October

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The department of Indian Affairs has set Oct. 28 as the date for an election on the Dakota Tipi First Nation in Manitoba.

The nomination meeting is scheduled for Sept. 16.

Indian Affairs minister Robert Nault issued a statement on Aug. 12 saying it will be up to the community members to tell his department who they recognize as their chief and council. Indian Affairs put the band, located near Portage la Prairie, Man., under third-party management on April 1. Long-term chief Dennis Pashe was told by the department at that point that he was no longer recognized as chief.

His sister, Marjorie Prince, had previously been elected interim chief by band members who opposed Pashe because he had ruled without the benefit of an election for more than 20 years.

But the department does not recognize Prince, either. She said the community is in a state of limbo with the third party manager providing only the most basic services.

"The band office is closed down. People aren't getting paid. The band is $3.3 million in debt," said Prince. "Now that the band office is closed up the reserve is just like dead. The gas bar burnt down, the band office is closed, this is like a ghost town."

Officials at the Manitoba region of Indian Affairs would not comment on the details of the band's finances but, when asked to confirm the $3.3 million figure used by Prince, said the level of debt was not that high.

Pashe claimed his right to stay in office was based on an informal mandate provided by the people in the community by consensus. Others in the community insisted he call an election and allege he attempted to intimidate them into backing away from that demand. Pashe countered by accusing the other side of instigating the violence that marred the tiny community over the Christmas holidays. Since then, there have been a series of suspicious fires on the territory. Prince also accuses her brother of misappropriating funds from the band's casino/bingo hall, which was occupied for about six hours by community members on July 18.

Soaring Eagle, an accounting firm, walked away from a contract to conduct an audit on the band's bingo hall in August, saying managers would not provide records required for the audit. The province decided to review the operations of the bingo hall after band members made the allegations of mismanagement. Just to make things even more confusing, the Manitoba government was criticized for giving the audit contract to Soaring Eagle, since Premier Gary Doerr's brother works for the company.

Prince said she intends to run for chief. William Hall, an off-reserve member who lives in Winnipeg, is seeking a court order that would allow off-reserve members to run.

Currently, the Indian Act requires that candidates for chief reside on the reserve. That could be overturned because the Corbiere decision threw out the Indian Act section that prevented off-reserve members from voting in band elections.

Prince said her brother's long run as chief is over.

"Dennis is not running," she said. Pashe could not be reached for comment.