Band members vote for payout of $5,000 apiece

Dissidents prevail over council in approving richer distribution and freeze on the rest of $20-million court settlement

ROBERT MATAS

From Friday's Globe and Mail

August 22, 2008 at 4:24 AM EDT

VANCOUVER — Every man, woman and child in the Musqueam Indian band will receive $5,000 within a few weeks after an upset victory for dissident band members at a tense 41/2-hour meeting.

Claiming a victory for democracy and accountability, the dissidents spearheaded a drive to restrict the band council's control over distribution of funds from a recent $20-million out-of-court settlement with the B.C. government.

The council had proposed $1,000 each for the 1,200 band members.

The remaining $19-million would go toward debt reduction and band programs.

The council warned that handing out more than $1,000 each could mean that funds would not be available for mould remediation, home renovations or new recreation services.

But at a closed meeting on Wednesday evening, members voted 262-78 in favour of a resolution to distribute $5,000 to each band member and to freeze the rest of the funds until a further vote.

Less than half of the members live on the reserve in southwest Vancouver on the shores of the Fraser River.

Members indicated in remarks before the vote they do not understand how the council's funds are spent, Gail Sparrow, a spokesperson for the dissident group, said yesterday in an interview.

However, they have not seen improvements in their lives from the spending of millions of dollars in recent years.

They indicated they are no longer willing to leave decisions on spending up to the council, she said.

"Parents got up and said, 'we need the money now because we live in poverty,' " she said.

"They said, 'I do not trust you any more with our money. I trust myself.' "

Ms. Sparrow said the successful challenge to the leadership had brought about change.

"The old archaic paternalism way of the Indian Act did not exist there last night," she said.

The Musqueam band is one of the wealthiest in Canada, owning real estate and businesses worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The band's budget shows revenues this year of $8.2-million from the federal government and $4-million from their own sources.

However, many members live in dire poverty in homes contaminated with mould.

Dissidents, who held a picket that shut down the band office for five weeks this summer, say the council has refused to provide adequate funding for housing and for alcohol and drug programs.

Musqueam children from troubled homes are being placed in non-native families because the band council has refused to finance a safe house on the reserve for youngsters in need of temporary protection, the dissidents say.

Band Chief Ernie Campbell did not respond yesterday to a request for an interview.