“Things have gone from bad to worse”
To the Expositor:
Well it has been nine months since there was change of leadership in Sheguiandah First Nation (SFN).
The change of leadership was based upon the premise that there were major problems within the band office. So much so that the good, kind, honest folk (that’s sarcasm) took it upon themselves to hold a protest in the hopes that I would resign. They held signs on the side of Highway 6 that read ‘Elder Abuse,’ ‘We’re hungry,’ ‘Nepotism’ and ‘Mismanagement’ to name a few. There were two former band councillors, Derek Assiniwe and Kevin Mishibinijima, grandstanding and making wild accusations to whatever media source that would listen to them. There are three members of the band council that were active participants in this protest that also made accusations.
It was a well orchestrated plan to gain control of the SFN band office and it worked. Everyone ate it up and believed it. One of the first things the new council did after assuming power was to feverishly go through all files and records at the band office. They were desperately hoping to find a smoking gun and the evidence needed to justify their protest and lies just so they could say, “See, we told you so.” It did not exist and never did. As I stated many times before, “we ran a tight ship and everything was by the book.” The hiring, terminations, allocation of housing and adhering to policies were followed. There was a strict separation of governance from administration and band councillors were not allowed to bully staff or allowed to sit on any hiring committees as this would constitute a conflict of interest.
All of that has now changed. The staff have been bullied and some have left while others have been let go. Although unemployment runs at about 80 percent in SFN, all three band councillors, in their infinite wisdom, have hired themselves. They did not apply for these positions, they appointed themselves.
Councillor Georgina Thompson has been working at the band office since day one and at one point was even calling herself deputy chief. According to Aboriginal Affairs, there are no provisions in the Indian Act for the position of deputy chief. It does not exist, it is a made up position. Where do the funds come from to pay Councillor Thompson’s salary? What is her job description and title? How much is her salary? No one knows, the council refuses to disclose this information. All three band councillors have taken it upon themselves to sit on all the hiring committees. I guess they do not see the conflicts of interest in hiring friends, family and SFN voters. ‘Nepotism,’ ‘favouritism’ and ‘cronyism’ are now the words of the day at the band office.
All credibility, accountability and transparency are now things of the past. There is a new way or old new way of doing things. Information is being hidden from the band members and all documents are now top-secret. Although the Federal Government’s Transparency Act has been enacted into law, SFN financial audits for the past two fiscal years remain unavailable and still have not been posted online as stipulated in this Act. I have been requesting these documents as well as signed band council meeting minutes for months now (not one single band council meeting minutes since November 23, 2013 have been made available to SFN band members). Further, I have requested all job descriptions, job postings, lists of hiring committee members, salaries and qualifications, board appointees, dates of next council meetings and chief’s reports. Suffice it to say, none of the information was forthcoming or volunteered the latest time I made this request which was September 4, 2014. All the information that has been requested is supposed to be made available to all band members. Sadly, it hasn’t. Ironically, everything this wayward chief and council have accused me of doing while they protesting in the ditch, they are now doing! Like seasoned politicians, they made promises they couldn’t keep nor had no intentions of keeping. They promised the band members how much better things would be under their watch. Unfortunately, they meant for themselves.
An interim management team (IMT) has been set up and has been in place since taking office. It appears that the council has been using this IMT to justify getting rid of the band manager’s position and to give Councillor Georgina Thompson full-time employment at the band office. According to the organizational chart that was leaked to the band members, the IMT (which is comprised of the band council) reports to the band council. In essence, the council reports to themselves. What is most disturbing about this organizational chart is that nowhere does it have the SFN band members. Going by this chart, the chief and band councillors of SFN do not report to, answer to or take direction from anyone! Vladimir Putin would be proud of this gang.
At a council meeting (with 48 hours notice) that was held on July 31, 2014, I tried to ask simple questions from the band councillors and was ignored. Even a simple request to “speak up” fell on deaf ears. I persisted and finally the council acknowledged me; however, when simple questions were too difficult to answer like Councillor Thompson’s position and rate of pay and identification of funds for her position proved to be too much for Councillor Thompson and she promptly adjourned the meeting.
When it gets too hot in the kitchen, you run out of the kitchen. FYI band councillors, there are no provisions in the Indian Act for band councillors to call a meeting. A majority of band councillors can request the chief to call a meeting with the chief being present or set meetings should have been predetermined at the onset of the council’s term. Any attempt to circumvent these Indian Act regulations would make any resolutions null and void. Further, there are no provisions in the Indian Act for “special” or “working” meetings. Meetings are all the same and are to be held only one way and all meetings have to be duly convened which means ample notification has to be given and all band welcome to attend. Any band council meeting held behind closed doors and without band member participation are not valid.
With that being stated, I received a memo in the mail (who sends a memorandum in the mail) from the SFN chief and council that were not too happy about me asking questions. How dare I ask for accountability and transparency from the band council? Although Chief Shawanda was not in attendance, the memo was written as if he was and his signature is also missing. My answer to this memo…No, I will not be silent!
In closing, I am asking for the resignation of the whole council for breaching their fiduciary duties and for misleading the band membership. Richard Shawanda, Georgina Thompson and Jackie Bowerman were ringleaders in a protest that lacked substance and truth. This deception propelled them into office.
A resignation would take honour though and there is a shortage of that at the band office these days.
Our community is once again morphing into a have-not community. Since taking office on November 23, 2013 an exodus of band members have left our reserve (19). Three families have left in the past two weeks alone with others planning on leaving. They all left for the same reasons: zero opportunities, lack of programs, dysfunction of chief and council, overall sickness of the band office and rampant and increased drugs and alcohol use. More band members are planning on leaving. While other First Nations are growing, our community is shrinking and becoming a rural ghetto. Will this the SFN chief and council be accountable, transparent and stand before the community and answer each and every question thrown at them? Why is it so difficult for some people to be forthcoming and honest? Does this council have any empathy, humility or shame? Will they do the right thing? I doubt it! It’s going on 10 months now and things have gone from bad to worse.
Yours truly, Orville Aguonie Sheguiandah First Nation band member
