Wesley band members are “losing faith” in their Nation.
“We are burying people every week … people are suffering,” said Kenny Hunter, Wesley band member.
“People need to know what is happening. We are scared of the repercussions (of speaking out) but there needs to be a change.”
A couple of Wesley band members spoke to the Eagle following the Wesley Band meeting held at the Chief Goodstoney Rodeo Centre on Sept. 30.
“I want to see something brighter for the youth … (chief and council) don’t have the heart they are supposed to have,” said one Wesley band member who wanted to remain anonymous.
The meeting was held in response to band members wanting to discuss Wesley’s finances and state of the Nation – Stoney Nakoda First Nation has three bands, Wesley, Bearspaw and Chiniki – but band members were disappointed when the discussion panel consisted of CEOs and administration.
“We don’t need outsiders to solve our problems, you don’t even live here 24-7, you don’t know what is going on in the reserve,” Hunter said during the meeting.
The majority of questions surrounded the chief and councillors absences from the meeting with concerns also raised about the lack of transparency with the finances.
“It shouldn’t be you sitting there, they are the leaders, we are the ones who voted them in, this has nothing to do with you guys … it should be the chief and council who hear the voices of the Nation,” Adele Rabbitt, Morley resident said during the meeting.
As previously reported by Eagle columnist, Trent Fox, Stoney Tribal Administration laid off band administration employees and in a cost-saving strategy also reduced work weeks to three days – but as previously reported by the Eagle, the CEO stated Chiefs or councillors will not be taking pay cuts.
“We seen the budget and this is nothing – where is the money going,” one of the band members asked at the meeting.
The finances provided at the meeting consisted of printouts from administration with graphs and spreadsheets detailing the 2016-17 “Band Fund” budget and one page listing the surplus and deficit for the three bands, including Wesley that was reported to have a $3.1 million surplus for the year.
“A variety of things are closed, what affects one affected the other - there are still a lot of things hidden … we would like to see more,” Greg Twoyoungmen, Wesley member said during the meeting.
None of the bands financials were posted online for the 2015 fiscal year, but the posted 2014 financial records stated that for four chiefs and 16 councillors wages topped $2 million and expenses exceeded $1 million – with the Wesley Chief Ernest Wesley earned $241,493 in wages and expensed $97,171 in the 2014 fiscal year.
Wesley members expressed their concern about the state of their band, saying with the job losses and closures of businesses and centres on the reservation in the last year they are fearful for the youth growing up in Morley.
“They say there is no money but they keep hiring people from off the reserve, why bring outside help … they used to say leaders are supposed to teach with humility and love,” the anonymous Wesley band member said.
Closures on the reservation include the Nakoda Lodge, that under new management has been shut down since April; the Eagle’s Nest Stoney Family Shelter that has been shut down since last April for renovations with no reopening date set; and the recently re-opened Stoney Nakoda Reserve’s Elder’s Lodge that was temporarily housing residents displaced by the flood since 2013 – programs resumed at the lodge as of Tuesday morning, according to administration.
“We are frustrated with the system, why are we not being heard? We are concerned about where we are going,” Hunter said.
“It is inhumane – band members are left in the dark.”
Acting tribal administrator CEO Ken Christensen was reached via cell phone but said he did not have time to speak and offered no comment.
Wesley Chief Ernest Wesley could not be reached for comment.
