Darcy Dixon is back at the helm as chief of Bearspaw, part of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation.
During the election, Dixon won a clear mandate despite at least one candidate running on a platform suggesting the band lacked financial accountability.
Dixon insists the band and himself are completely transparent when it comes to finances, despite financial statements being regularly unavailable online – but he pointed to regular band meetings as proof.
A $2.3 million surplus in the Bearspaw budget would also indicate some level of fiscal prudency assuming the band is spending sufficiently to meet the needs in the community.
It is no secret that the Stoney Nakoda Nation, of which Bearspaw is part of – has struggled with issues in terms of housing, unemployment, violence and social issues.
Last year, Bearspaw started a pilot project to try and address the housing issue using shipping containers as converted housing units.
With his new term ahead of him, Dixon said he plans to turn his sights on the employment issue and work on making the band more self-sustainable.
“The unemployment for our people is really high. Just like regular Albertans, with unemployment comes social problems but for the First Nations people, it is more,” Dixon told the Eagle recently.
“The sort of problems that the community faces is an ongoing problem that the Nation at a Tribal level has tried to address over the years … a lot of issues seem to fall through the cracks because of the lack of funding and resources we get, if you ask Health Canada or the Department of Indigenous Affairs they say they provide funding but I think there is a misconception of what the needs are.”
Dixon said the fact that federal funding is shared between three bands stretches the funds even thinner and that is why he is looking for more internal funding solutions.
Ideas toward that goal include an idea to open the Bearspaw Kananaskis Travel Centre with the hope of generating between 25 and 35 jobs. The idea is similar to Bearspaw Service Centre – opened in 2013 – which has generated $12 million in revenue since its opening.
Dixon’s plans are admirable and we hope he follows through. It is also encouraging that he invited band members to hold his and council’s “feet to the fire.”
The proof is in the pudding, however. Those are easy words to say and harder to practise. Candidate Georgina Rollins suggested she had hesitations about running for chief because she had faced reprisals for speaking out against the band in the past.
Hopefully those concerns were more perceived than real, but Dixon should take note of them because it is difficult for band members to be engaged in government if they fear repercussions.
Ultimately it is the chief and council’s responsibility to be accountable to their people and voters should expect no less.
