Recent media reports revealed that Ernest Wesley, chief of the Wesley Band, was paid $338,644 in the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Council fees are set by council members without input at the community level. Stoney Tribal Administration, to my knowledge, has not consulted with band members as to whether the rate they have set is fair.
In total, the Stoney Tribal Council allocated $3.3 million of the Nation’s band funds to pay council salaries. That is a significant amount when you consider that many people are unemployed in our community.
Countless children live in poverty while leaders live high on the hog on band funds.
Stoney band members will receive $800 in per-capita distributions this year. This is money paid to band members with funds earned from natural gas revenues. It is issued once a year. It is a nice dividend but certainly not $338,644.
Is the rate of pay fair? Acting Tribal Administrator, Ken Christensen, said in recent media reports that it was fair considering how hard council members work. I was contemplating that because elected councillors no longer have active roles in departmental committees.
In the last 15 years, we have witnessed a dramatic decline in the role of band councillors. They are no longer permitted to sit on committees. The chiefs now seem to appoint immediate family and vocal supporters to represent their interests in all departments. As a result, councillors no longer have to attend regular meetings nor do they have offices to conduct their business. Exactly where are they working?
In previous years, councillors had active roles. As chairperson of the Health and Social Services committees for example, my mother, Tina Fox, had the opportunity to work with federal representatives, colleagues and department heads. Through that process she was able to represent people and work proactively in the roles she was assigned.
Her work speaks for itself and has earned her the respect of good-hearted people within and outside the Stoney community. That opportunity does not seem to exist for councillors under the new tribal customs.
The new tribal customs are such that chiefs now make all decisions. This is not the traditional role of our leaders. It is akin to Eurocentric values. Monarchs, for example, socialized people to believe in the divine right of kings. That chiefs now assume similar roles is likely an effect of the colonization process. However, it is what it now is.
That chief and council earned $3.3 million between 15 people is outrageous. However, federal officials consider this an internal matter and will not get involved even if people want to address it. Most people rely on leadership for employment, handouts and committee appointments and so will not raise the issue.
Those who do are viewed negatively by leadership.
It is unlikely that our leaders will vote to take less. This is because this is the only opportunity for most council members to make that kind of money. Chief Wesley, for example, was said to be unemployed for four years when he was ousted in 2006. Council fees and severance payments look pretty good in that situation.
It is my hope that this will change one day because we really do need higher standards of leadership. The Stoney people need leaders who will look to the future and set an example by taking less from the community pot. There really is no honour in taking the biggest piece of the pie. It simply signifies greed. The Stoney people need true leaders as we move forward. True leaders who will lead for all people. True leaders who embrace constructive criticism and who respect differing opinions. We need true leadership.
Have a blessed holiday season, from my Tipi to yours.
