Posted By Susan Gamble
Sept 12, 2007
Brantfor Expositor
Despite a fractious council that constantly berates him, a $4-million lawsuit and a community divided over who represents them, David General says he still wants to be chief.
General announced his candidacy last week for the top job in Nov. 17's band council election.
"There's been a lot of our history revealed in the last year and a half and a variety of positions taken on claims," General said Tuesday. "They all need to be resolved and it's not going to get done by someone who comes for three years and then leaves."
The 13-member council has been so divided over the last three years that it has had trouble coming to agreement on many major issues.
"Some people might say they're tired of the chief and council," and will vote them all out, said General. But others, he hopes, will look at those on council who have been respectful and worked to resolve issues.
Although General feels like he's been hemmed in at every turn during his mandate, he points to some successes his council can claim.
some successes
Last week, the White Pines Wellness Centre, which provides health and dialysis services, opened, despite some opposition.
"Some voices didn't support it but we're providing health services to the citizens of Six Nations."
At a public meeting this week, the elected council shared the latest audit and showed that, despite some considerable belt-tightening after the curtailment of gambling funds that used to flow from Casino Rama, Six Nations is still "very sound" financially.
And while General is vocal about his lack of support for the occupation of the Douglas Creek Estate lands in Caledonia, he also feels strongly about his support for educating nearby communities about the numerous land claims Six Nations has in the court system. He has clashed over issues with the rising Confederacy council. But he has repeatedly said he advocates a new system of governance on Six Nations that would eventually see the end of the elected system and bring together representation from the elected council, Confederacy and community.
'dark side' of politics
But General has been chastised for the way he has presented some of his ideas and for initiatives where he tried to lead. Those advisers he selected and surrounded himself with were fired, pushed out or opted to leave for greener pastures.
During a recent contentious council meeting, councillors barely voted to fund General's legal costs in lawsuits involving comments he made about the "dark side" of Six Nations politics. He is being sued for at least $4 million by a former councillor, a former chief - who ran against General in the last election - and the former lands director.
General won't comment on the status of the lawsuit but said he would still be running for re-election even if the council had voted against paying his fees. The lawsuit will actually be paid for by the council's insurers now that council has approved it.
General hopes to get a clean start with the election.
"The work of this administration, the 53rd council, is going to have to be done by the 54th council," he said. "My No. 1 focus is to finish off the business on our plate."