Splatsin members blockade band buildings to call for new election
Global News
The pickets blocking the entrances to the community center, health center, and band office started around 7:30 a.m. Monday morning.
Members of the Splatsin First Nation, near Enderby, B.C, are divided over whether a new election should be called just over a year into the existing council’s four-year term.
On Monday, some members, who feel the current chief and council are not providing the leadership the band needs, blockaded key band buildings to call for a new vote.
At the same time, others are supporting legal action calling for a judge to put a hold on any new election.
The pickets blocking the entrances to the community centre, health centre, and band office started around 7:30 a.m. Monday morning.
“We are here to stand up for the people. We are here to say we want a new election,” explained Splatsin band member Setatkwa Christian.
“We are losing all our resources. All our services, they can’t be delivered because there is nobody working at that main table. When your foundation, which is your leadership, is crumbling, everything underneath that crumbles and suffers, too.”
Setatkwa said demonstrators were respectfully asking people not to cross the picket lines and that everyone had followed that request.
With signs reading “call the vote” and “change now,” those demonstrating said the current council isn’t functioning well and has left the community divided.