Metis Nation needs to take care of business

Page 4

Enough, already. Stop wasting our time and money and get back to business.

This was the best advice the Metis Nation of Alberta assembly could give to its elected leaders and was shouted from the roof tops in Fort McMurray over the Aug. 19 weekend.

The MNA's general assembly broke down into its usual fit of squabbles, infighting and power plays, leaving much of the important work of this valuable Aboriginal organization to go undone.

The limited time of the assembly was spent spatting and spitting out accusations and rebukes to the president and board members who have engaged in a year-long battle of wills instead of plotting the path the organization will take in advancing the issues and priorities of the Metis people of Alberta. The future work of the MNA has suffered considerably the by feuding.

One three per cent of the group's overall membership bothered to attend the meeting, undoubtedly feeling the entire week-end would be a disappointment. Calls for resignations, membership suspensions and the overthrow of the leadership certainly led witnesses of this brouhaha to believe they were seeing an organization whirling out of control.

Members who chose not to attend would not be surprised in learning that the meeting disintegrated into a standoff between opposing factions of the board of directors.

Vice president of Zone 3 Jim Penton with supporters were on one side and president Gerald Thom, senior vice-president Lyle Donald and supporters were on the other. Together they make up a group which costs the organization approximately $500,000 in salaries for their expertise and talent.

But instead of ingratiating themselves to the membership by simply doing their jobs, they have brought the organization into disrepute by their bratty attempts to be king of the hill.

This childish nonsense must be put behind the organization as quickly as possible for the sake of the 8,5600 members, the important projects the organization is working on, and for the pride of the nation.

Listen to your people and set to rights a substantial association which today seems destined to swirling down the drain into a dark and empty place. Listen to the people before the only ground the MNA makes is the ground that buries the organization altogether.