National president challenged by Alberta

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The election of a new president of the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) is being challenged by Alberta members of the group. The challenge stems from dissatisfaction with the way Donna Weaselchild ran the Alberta section of NWAC. However, Weaselchild denies these allegations.

Weaselchild, former president of the Alberta Native Women's Association (ANWA), was elected president of the national group Aug. 13. However, according to ANWA board member Ruth Kidder, she was elected over the objections of her own constituents in Alberta. On the day of her election, "she was brought to the floor amid heckling and jeering. I've never been to an assembly like that before," Kidder said.

Kidder acknowledges that Weaselchild received exactly the 51 per cent majority she needed. However, many of the Alberta members feel that her election goes against the spirit, if not the letter, of the group's constitution. There is an unspoken understanding that anyone who is elected nationally must have the full support of her provincial group. Kidder feels that by ignoring this, Weaselchild is going against the Indian way.

Doris Calliou, vice-president and now acting president of ANWA, agrees that Weaselchild did not have support from Alberta for her presidency bid.

"Donna hadn't proven herself locally; she didn't even tell us she was running. She did her campaigning in other provinces." The result was "it's leaving us in a bit of mess ? there are reports that haven't been written . . . I'm not looking forward to the coming year with Donna as national president."

Kidder and Calliou have specific complaints about the way Weaselchild ran the Alberta group, and indicate they can supply documentation to prove it. These complaints include alienating the funding agencies, preventing meetings from taking place (especially the annual meeting which was supposed to take place in June), and writing official letters that went against the views of the majority of the group.

Weaselchild responds that delays in receiving government funding were the causes of most of the delayed meetings.

"We didn't receive our funds for the fiscal year beginning in April 1986 until December 1986. The Secretary of State didn't put the balance of the payment into our account until March 1987. We had 10 days to spend $50,000.

This situation caused serious problems for those who were trying to organize meetings. It was the membership, not herself, says Weaselchild, that is responsible for the change in dates for the annual meeting.

"Jun is a bad time of year for an annual meeting. The membership preferred October."

This re-scheduling also means the annual meeting will take place closer to the actual time that government funds are deposited in the account. Weaselchild denied suggestions that the meeting was postponed so that she would be free to begin her national election campaign without the Alberta membership being aware of it.

Weaselchild also denied accusations that the Alberta organization was at a standstill while she was president. She lists the accomplishments of ANWA under her leadership ? decentralization of ANWA's functions, strengthening of the regions that formerly were inactive, increasing the awareness of battered women and child sexual abuse, and monitoring the effects of Bill C-31. Specifically relating to battered women, Weaselchild mentioned activities such as public speaking and working with women's shelters to increase the percentage of Native women on staff. There are now two Native women staff members in the Calgary shelter, and one in Edmonton, plus Native volunteers.