by Daniel Martins
Published Monday August 25th, 2008
Miramichi Leader
Stephenson Joe has had a complicated time picking up welfare cheques since he moved back to Burnt Church First Nation in July.
When he first filled out the paperwork after coming home from work in Ontario on July 15, he said he was told by his welfare officer if he wanted his cheque he'd have to go to the home of Chief Wilbur Dedam.
"He told me right to my face, as long as he's in power, I'm not going to get anything," Joe alleges, adding his brother was there as a witness at the time.
The reason, he was told, was because he did not vote for Dedam in the most recent elections for chief and council, held May 23.
That same day, August 5, he called Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) to file a complaint, with the aid of former candidate for chief and current council member Chris Bartibogue.
Ten days after he filed his complaint, the first welfare cheque arrived. When he called the welfare office on the reserve inquiring about his other cheque, he was told they would look into it. They said Joe had incorrectly filled out social assistance application forms, which lead to the delay.
Joe's employment in Ontario at Wal-Mart ended in January, and his Employment Insurance expired in June, after which he returned to New Brunswick, this time for good.
He says he is certain his appeal to INAC resulted in his receiving one of the cheques owed, and is angered by his alleged treatment by the chief.
"A chief isn't supposed to behave that way," he said. "I'm a traditional person, and it's my belief that a chief should take care of all of his people, not just those who kiss his butt."
Attempts to reach a representative of INAC were unsuccessful by press time.
Burnt Church's financial comptroller, Alex Dedam, said he could not discuss Joe's case due to privacy laws, adding it is the income maintenance officer who administers social program, not chief and council. Determining eligibility for social assistance is also their responsibility.
"To my knowledge, there hasn't been anybody that's been denied welfare because they voted for somebody other than the chief at the election," Dedam said. "Everyone in this community who [is] eligible for income assistance, gets it."
He added there was an appeal mechanism in place to deal with complaints, which goes through the social assistance office but is reviewed off-reserve.
He noted not everyone qualifies for assistance.
"Income assistance is a last resort," he said. "If you're working, you don't get it."
Chief Dedam was re-elected May 23, taking 476 votes out of 827 cast for chief, a position he has held for around 30 years. His closest competitor, Curtis Bartibogue, took around 294, and was also elected to council as a councillor.
When contacted regarding Joe's case, Bartibogue said he had heard six or seven similar stories, and alleged similar problems do occur at Burnt Church.
"For political reasons, people aren't getting hired for jobs, people are getting denied their welfare ... any type of assistance from the band like that," Bartibogue said.
"Everybody knows' what it's from: If you don't support the chief politically or his council, it's what they call the black list. That's been going on for years, it's nothing new."