Protest continues as chief stands firm

Page 3

Demonstrators attempting to pressure the non-status woman elected chief of their northern Alberta reserve vowed to continue their protest despite a court order keeping them out of the band hall.

"Everything has been affected by this," said one member of the protest camp at Sturgeon Lake, about 350 km northwest of Edmonton. "Don't make this sound like a petty argument...People's day-to-day lives are being affected here because she is not treaty."

But chief Darlene Desjarlais is standing equally firm, refusing all suggestions that she give up the job she was elected to do at the end of March.

"(Resignation) is what they want...Unfortunately I've got other people to think about," she said in a telephone interview the day after the first band council meeting since the protest began.

The protesters are now compiling a petition calling for the chief's resignation. They said recreation programming is not available for children this summer and student funding is in limbo.

They also accuse the chief and council of giving local contracts to outside workers and letting Desjarlais vote on her own application for on-reserve housing.

"I don't think there's been any services provided," said Alfred Goodswimmer, a band councillor who stopped going to council meetings in support of the protest. "Education-wise, I don't think they re supporting the students."

But Desjarlais said many of the cut-backs people are complaining about come from decisions made by the previous council. Recreation budgets are running at a deficit and student funding agreements were made by the previous Council. Desjaralais said she was allowed to vote on her application for a house, but noted there were enough people at the meeting to defeat the application.

"The argument seems to be with Ottawa, not here," Desjarlais said, referring to clauses in the Indian Act that allow anyone to run for the chief's office. "This is what has happened here. Powers have been broken that have been in here for 40 to 50 years. It's hard to make that change."

Band members have taken their complaints to Indian Affairs Minister Tom Siddon. But the department is refusing to get involved, saying the dispute is an internal problems.

There has been no formal contact between the protesters and Desjarlais since the dispute started. The protesters say several meetings have been scheduled and cancelled

by the band board.

Desjarlais said the council is now preparing an audit of band finances that will be presented to the community. She said she hopes the information will defray some of the criticism of her administration.