CALDWELL DISPUTE
Duckworth fires back
Political unrest continues to plague the Caldwell First Nation community.
Mary Duckworth, who was elected chief in January on the heels of the controversy that erupted over a forensic audit surrounding the finances of the nearly $600,000 spent on a powwow in August 2016, has broken her silence since the summer. “In the end the truth will prevail,” Duckworth told Postmedia News.
Noting she was elected to help bring about change, she said, “but when you try to go and do it, people are afraid and they resist.” She said the election of a new council was supposed to usher in full transparency and accountability. “Instead, what’s happened, the chief is out within a few short months on a suspension and then removed from office on Nov. 2,” Duckworth said.
She said councillor James Peters arrived at her door unannounced and handed her a notice stating she was removed as chief.
“I said, ‘This isn’t right, we need to talk,’ and he walked away,” Duckworth said.
Six months after Duckworth was elected chief, the band’s administration said she had taken a leave of absence, but no details were provided about why. This was followed by the band council accusing Duckworth of breaching her fiduciary duty and missing too many council meetings.
She was put on leave by the council on June 13.
In mid-August, Duckworth returned to work, prompting the locks to the be changed on the public access door to the band’s office the next day while she was out for lunch.
A small group of band members gathered at the Caldwell band office in Leamington Monday night to protest a council meeting that band members were notified via email had been changed to an incamera, closed meeting to discuss legal issues. However, the in-camera meeting never took place. Postmedia was unable to reach Peters or the other band council members — Stan Scott, Steve Simpson or Robyn van Oirschot — for comment. Duckworth said she intends to run again in the byelection for the chief ’s position that has been set for Feb. 16, 2019. She and other band members said the majority of the Caldwell membership made it clear to council at a general membership meeting on Nov. 17 that they want a full election, not just for the chief ’s position. Larry Johnson, a former Caldwell chief, said of the 175 people who attended the Nov. 17 meeting, 120 signed a paper asking for a full election.
When asked about council’s actions to oust the current chief, he said, “it’s a control situation.” Duckworth said the council has become an “authoritarian regime” where people are not listened to and there is no meaningful programming happening.
She noted when former Chief Louise Hillier and former Coun. Lonnie Dodge were removed from council over the powwow controversy, it was done in front of the membership, with everyone being invited to attend a general membership meeting. Acknowledging Hillier and Dodge were hurt by what happened, Duckworth said the community didn’t turn their backs on them, they brought them back into the fold.
She said after the last election, Hillier and Dodge congratulated her and offered their help. Noting the full story has never come out regarding the powwow, Dodge didn’t specifically state his support for Duckworth. “We gave the position of chief support,” he said.
“A majority of the membership wants a full election.”
The Caldwell First Nation received a $105-million land claim settlement with the federal government in 2011 and several hundred acres of land has been purchased in Leamington with the goal of establishing a reserve.