An ongoing dispute between factions of the Yekooche First Nation and the federal government took to the streets Friday.
A group from within the Yekooche held simultaneous demonstrations in Fort St. James, the nearest community within their traditional territory, Prince George, where their government offices are located, and Vancouver at the offices for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC).
"The people of Yekooche First Nation are fighting to have AANDC honour Yekooche's right to self-government and record their election results," said Cynthia Hill, a member of the Yekooche's management group. AANDC has refused to record, or officially recognize, the results of a recent recall election held by the Yekooche that would oust the previously elected chief and council.
"We can't get involved, and recognizing those results would be involving ourselves, so they have to work that out themselves within their own community," responded AANDC spokeswoman Susan Cuthbert. "They have set their own rules. It is not our role to come to some sort of judgment over them."
The recall election was held after various allegations involving members of the most recently elected chief and council. Hill said the Yekooche has a custom-designed electoral process that allows for this kind of recall.
"Officials of the B.C. region of AANDC have taken it upon themselves to overrule the Yekooche voters," she said. "The people of Yekooche are asking their fellow Canadians to stand with them and tell the government that Canadians are demanding that they follow their policies and be transparent and accountable to the voters."
The AANDC has not recognized the by-elections held in April as legitimate but the agency is refusing to continue federal transfer payments to the nation until the situation is resolved.
It is precisely because there is an internal conflict, and their policy of not taking sides, that has caused transfer payments to be held, according to Cuthbert's explanation. The duly elected government of any First Nation has the right to obtain its transfer funding, but the Yekooche government is very much in dispute at the moment.
"We have asked them to provide clarity," Cuthbert said. "What needs to happen is, they need to have a duly signed agreement over who their chief and council is. But we are looking at other options. We are continuing to work with and support them as best we can. We are still working and talking with them, but that is only in the beginning stages."
