Roseau chooses new chief

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The Roseau River Band in southeastern Manitoba has a new chief.

Felix Antoine won the March 16 election with 114 votes, beating out former chief Lawrence Henry.

Henry, who had been on council for more than a decade, garnered 108 votes. Vice-chief John James received 52 and band member Mary Chaskey earned 18.

The race was not, however, as close as the numbers suggest because the 70 votes won by the other candidates could easily have gone to Lawrence, Chief Antoine said.

And a general ignorance of the issues also meant that many band members voted for their former chief, he added.

"Other people were not informed of what was going on here. Deficit amounts have only recently been made available and we find a lot more money that's not there. Now that we've got the audit, all of us have to suffer because of the deficit."

James attributed Antoine's victory to his ability to get voters to the polls.

"He did work more, he got more of his supporters out."

James, who ran in the election only to "obey his supporters," said he was pleased with the election's outcome.

"Council will accept the decision of the people," he said.

And Lawrence has been invited to a community feast scheduled for the end of March as a sign of good faith and so his supporters don't feel left out, James said.

"There was a need for a change. We're off on the right foot."

Henry could not be reached for comment.

The election, which saw around 300 of the band's 741 eligible voters turn out, was called last month after the Customs Council unanimously voted to oust Henry for his role in the exile of the reserve's police.

The Dakota-Ojibway Tribal Council Police were evicted from the reserve for taking part in the RCMP's pre-dawn raid on the reserve's casino Jan. 19.

Police seized 48 video terminals, two blackjack tables and numerous break-open tickets.

As a result of their expulsion, the three DOTC police officers had to move their office from reserve land. Henry also forbade the RCMP from coming onto the reserve but rescinded that order only a few days later.

A group of so-called "peacekeepers" from the Anishinabe O-kii-ji-da warrior society had been patrolling the reserve in the DOTC's absence.

Many reserve residents, however, were concerned about the warrior patrols as some peacekeepers had criminal records. Others had restraining orders filed against them to keep them away from certain women.

The DOTC police have since returned to duty on the reserve.

The issue of gambling and a reserve casino will be addressed in a future band referendum, Antoine said.

"It may be a more positive thing if they vote one in. If not, we will have to find another course of generating revenue."