Band chief gone in powwow fallout

LEAMINGTON, ONT. • The Ontario Provincial Police have confirmed they are investigating a small southwestern Ontario First Nation mired in controversy over the finances of a nearly $600,000 powwow.

The chief and a band councillor from the Caldwell First Nation have been removed from office in the fallout of the controversial powwow, an audit of which found much of the spending wasn’t backed up.

Some f rustrated band members, who sought answers at a weekend meeting with the council, were told that more information could not be provided because a police investigation is underway. On Monday, Essex OPP media relations officer Const. Jim Root confirmed in an email to the Chatham Daily News that there is “an ongoing investigation in relation to the Caldwell First Nation in Leamington.”

The officer said an official media release regarding the investigation will be available Tuesday.

Chief Louise Hillier and her entire council from the Caldwell First Nation had already been suspended in June, as band members demanded the forensic audit into the powwow held last summer in Leamington to celebrate the band’s $ 105- million l and claim settlement in 2011 with the federal government.

The issue came to a boil last weekend at the meeting with band members, during which the band council held an impromptu, closed session and decided to remove Hillier and councillor Lonnie Dodge, a band sources aid. Reached Sunday, Dodge — who had signed a $190,000 video services contract for the Caldwell First Nation with the chief ’s son, also cited as a concern in the audit — declined comment.

“Any other day I would be more than happy to sit and talk,” he said, adding that he could not because of the police investigation.

Hillier and the remaining members of the Caldwell band council — Jim Peters, Janne Peters, and Mary Duckworth — have not responded to requests from the Daily News for comment.

The audit report, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily News, found that expenses for the powwow last August totalled $576,111, with just under $ 30,000 in revenue generated.

The audit raised concerns over the fact nearly $ 290,000 in expenses were “unsupported,” the largest portion of that $ 247,790 awarded in prize money to participants in dance and singer/drummer competitions. Also of concern were details about Hillier’s son, David Hillier, who received a $ 190,000 contract for his company, Moccasin Media, to provide video production services for the powwow, and tell the story of the Caldwells and the repatriation of their land.

The report said no quotes were obtained from other production companies and the contract was never taken to council for approval.