Petition rejected

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Coalition will try to meet with federation

The Alberta government has rejected a petition presented to the Minister of Municipal Affairs Ken Rostad by members of the Buffalo Lake (Caslan) Metis Settlement last month.

About 40 members of the Metis Settlement Members Coalition, headed by Caslan member Joe Blyan, walked into Municipal Affairs offices Friday Nov. 27 demanding that the minister listen to their grievances over the alleged mismanagement of the Buffalo Lake settlement and others.

However, in a meeting with deputy minister Archie Grover, Blyan was told that the petition was rejected by the Attorney General's office because "there is no provision in the Metis Betterment Act for the removal of council by petition."

After the meeting, Blyan and other members representing five Metis settlements, made their way to the Eastwood community hall to resume discussions about the list of recommendations that had been presented to the minister.

The first recommendation addressed the need for a better system of communication. Several delegates felt people at the grassroots level were not informed of the decisions of their council or of the Federation of Metis Settlements. Delegates also recommended a system to eliminate "family cliques" by forming a system of wards or zones in each settlement. But, the recommendation that a complete audit of settlement and federation financial records by presented to the government before Resolution 18, government bill that would amend the Alberta Act is finalized, received the most discussion.

"We need this audit because we just don't trust them . . . they don't have our confidence," said Blyan who has been calling for a financial audit of the Buffalo Lake settlement since financial problems surfaced at the settlement last spring. However, Blyan also blamed the government for their "inactivity" over the problem.

"Grover is trying to wriggle away from his responsibilities," said Blyan. "And the federation is declaring themselves the boss; now we have two bosses," he said when both the government and the federation failed to attend the meeting.

"We invited them," he told about 60 people. "But they just don't show up.

Buffalo Lake council member Felix Desjarlais then telephoned the federation office and reported that his council has refused to "allow Randy (Hardy, federation president) to attend."

Some discussion ensued and meeting delegates were informed that a federation meeting is scheduled for Dec. 9. Blyan announced that he and other members of the coalition would attempt to meet wit the federation during this meeting.

At press time, deputy minister Archie Grover refused to comment to Windspeaker on the situation. Federation president Randy Hardy was unavailable for comment.