There is a political divide on the Piikani First Nation. Two separate councils are claiming leadership of the Indigenous community, located northwest of Lethbridge.
One group is elected, the other self-acclaimed and the matter is being played out in two separate court cases.
The elected group took leadership in 2019, lead by Chief Stanley Grier.
The self-acclaimed group said they were acclaimed last month and are lead by Roderick North Peigan. They called an election, but when the same number of people as spots put their names forward, they were acclaimed.
Piikani First Nation member Dianna North Peigan said she got the ball rolling for a new council by starting a petition calling to elect new leadership, after concerns the sitting council was not acting in the nation’s best interest.
“We had not seen them since the May of 2020 and to go all this time and just them benefitting, that is the reason I started the petition,” she added.
North Peigan said she was then appointed by nation elders as the chief electoral officer, but the current council calls the entire process unauthorized.
“The election process undertaken by Miss North Peigan is not valid, therefore these members have not been properly acclaimed and are not been properly nominated as chief and council,” said Chief Grier in a YouTube video posted on Jan. 21.
North Peigan disagrees and said they have followed the proper process mapped out by the Piikani election bylaws and regulations, including gathering enough signatures. But she said Chief Grier and his council wouldn’t recognize it.
Roderick North Peigan said he stepped forward to be chief because of the current unrest his people are facing, “I served 16 years on the council and I haven’t seen it this bad.”
Some of the acclaimed group’s concerns include alleged mishandling of nation finances and a lack of consultation with nation members when the council endorsed the Grassy Mountain coal mine, which was ultimately denied by Alberta’s regulatory agency.
Indigenous Services Canada said it has no role in how the community’s leadership is selected.
In a statement, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) spokesperson Kyle Fournier said ISC “acknowledges and is committed to working with the currently-elected chief and council, as per the January 7, 2019 election until the 4 year term is complete on January 6, 2023, or until such a time when there is a band council resolution signed by the current chief and council, that states otherwise.”
Nation chief operations officer Corbin Provost said the matter is before the courts and the elected chief and council have no plans to leave their roles.
“It is still status quo for us. They are the duly-elected chief and council and they are still operating with that authority, and there has been no other indication or change otherwise,” said Provost.
But that isn’t deterring the self-acclaimed council. Member Rick Yellow Horn said even though the situation is still being argued in court, his group is ready to govern.
“This transition is underway,” said Yellow Horn. “The old council has been replaced and the new council is beginning to take the steps that we need to take to start to govern.”
He added the self-acclaimed council recently attempted to enter the Piikani administration building to begin duties, but were denied access.
Both sides are back in the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Thursday to address an injunction prohibiting the self-acclaimed council from representing themselves as what they call the rightful council.
A federal case is also ongoing to determine the legitimacy of the attempted takeover.
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