Chief responds to protests
Ian Stewart/Yukon News
Liard McMillan
Chief Liard McMillan won’t bow to critics’ calls for his resignation.
The Liard First Nation leader faced another round of protests at the band office in Watson Lake last week.
But, as he did in January during an earlier bout of protests, McMillan wrote off the demonstrations as a small group of disgruntled people using social issues in the community as an excuse to fling personal attacks.
“There were not 150 people at the protest, there were five or six protesters and half of them were intoxicated,” he said of the demonstrations that began on July 3. “The rest of the people that were there, were either there to pick up their social assistance cheque or to grab a free hot dog.”
Protesters assert the chief doesn’t convene community meetings or disclose the state of the First Nation’s finances, and that he has done little to address social issues like alcoholism in the community.
McMillan conceded that the last general assembly was “a few years ago.” But community meetings, like job fairs and mining forums, happen often, he said.
The next general assembly is set for August, at Francis Lake. Protesters claim holding the meeting during hunting season and outside Watson Lake is another attempt from McMillan to keep information from citizens.
“GAs have been held on the land plenty of times,” he said, mentioning the First Nation’s historic Simpson Lake gathering, which produced the band’s constitution. “I think holding an assembly in town allows for people under the influence to come and disrupt the meetings.”
Elder and youth camps are being held at the lake as well, McMillan added, noting lots of food and transportation will be provided. And Francis Lake is a great place to go hunting, he said.
Protesters also allege that the chief harangued dissenters on the phone, and even fired workers who signed a petition.
McMillan disputes all this. “That’s as far from the truth as can be,” he said.
McMillan won’t attend a meeting staged by protesters next week, from July 17 to 20. The gathering will only address calls for his resignation, rather than the broader community’s concerns, he said.
“Despite the allegations and the rumours, I’m not a dictator and I’m not a hereditary chief,” said McMillan, who has served as chief for nine years. “I’ve stated that I would not run again after this term but in the meantime I intend to complete my job and complete my mandate. I think that it’s undemocratic having a small group of people, or a mob mentality, basically try to take over this government.”
Joe Dick, a community member and Liard First Nation citizen, agrees.
“This place is just so full of rumours,” he said. “We don’t have any meetings anymore because of all the anger going around. It divides the community. That’s all this is doing.”
Dick was specifically offended by some protesters’ claims that many First Nation members go hungry while only a few benefit from mining in their traditional territory.
“Nobody here is starving with empty cupboards,” he said. “We’re native people, we have our life. We can go out and harvest what we want out there in the wild. We’re not back in the 30’s. Everyone here drives around in $30,000 vehicles. There’s no need to say things like that. It makes us look bad and it’s not true,” said Dick.
“Me and my brothers, we live off the land and we’re happy. Too many people don’t use their land. These guys that protest, they don’t help out in the community (with things like potlatches and funerals), they’re just out there to cause trouble.”
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12 Comments
It is sad for the Liard First Nation members to have a chief that writes messages about his “so called people.” SA Clients and drunks. Thats what he calls them. People of LFN have no meetings…no information. The members have to go by heresay all of these years. The people of LFN do not have freedom of speech or else pay the consequences if you do. When is the LFN members going to wake up.
oh my goodness. well hang in there liard, just don’t mention any more hot dogs
How on EARTH can he even know how many people are protesting?? He is never there! When the community held a residential meeting last year for residential school survivers, he didnt show up for long, and the people who held the meeting were very upset about that, He only showed up because he heard people were mad, Native people from all over showed up and courageously shared their testimony about the pain they endured in residential schools and he didnt even have the courtesy and respect to even attend the whole meeting Nevertheless the meeting went on beautifuly without him and many people benifited from that meeting and were healed from their trauma. So as a young kaska member and daughter of a residential school survivor SHAME ON THEIR DEMOCRATIC VEIWS The mass majority of residential school survivors are still struggling to get through what happened to them and the end result is alcoholism that gets passed down to the next generation, and as a second generation survivor myself I dont think i want a leader that is going to discriminate against me and judge my people who are suffering so much from their addictions caused by residential schools because MY MOTHER was SAVED from alcoholism caused by her trauma, and it is because of her strength that I GOT THROUGH Alcohol Abuse, so that is a very big insult to Me, MY mother and MY PEOPLE! And What does location have to do with a GA?? its not a law! And SOME people dont have 30,000 dollar trucks to get them there anyways
So to finish my statement: With that everybody is pointing their finger blaming one another while leader ship looks away so their was no leadership just greed in my opinion…n as for joe dick comment there is a freedom of speech act in Canada,but like every other band in Canada n everyone of us FN brothers n sisters know there is no freedom of speech when it comes to band office politics! So lfn member like u i chose not to identify myself as i dont want the glares,phone calls or harrasement! Hopefully one day we of LFN well have a chief that will work with the members n not think of money!
Okay 1st of all not everyone is driving 30 thousand vechiles around!?Yes maybe some purchased with their IRS money, but what about those who r working they maybe driving around a vechile but its not paid off! Its called using credit to get a loan n working to pay it off not everybody has been reciving IRS payments! N what about those who r having difficulty with alcohol n drug abuse they r not driving around in a fancy vechile…..who is their to help them no one…what good is a membership when the alcohol n drug abuse is a major concern…it was a concern when Chief Liard became Chief n still is a problem…but that does not concern him if it did maybe less members would turn to alcohol n drugs expect money greed n mining is in everybody intrest….instead of fighting over mining companies why doesnt Chief Liard fight for those with addiction start within the coomunity then out…...i agree with everyone else here nothings been done our member in our community r hurting !
This is an appalling way for a chief to acknowledge the issues in the community he leads, or does he acknowledge the issues? So not a leader !!
So many bands across this country are run by dictatorships. If anyone confronts them they could loose their job or house or worse. Fear is rampant and is a form of control. Something has to be done with the structure that allows this to take place.
Don’t be scared to leave your name after all your in a country where you have the freedom to speak your mind….
LFN Member
Joe Dick
Liard always mentions SA….why because he knows theres nothing else for LFN members no jobs. The majority of single LFN members that receive SA only receive 100 dollars a month and need soup kitchens to live. Why else would LFN members be mad. LFN members are left out in the cold. How was LFNDC formed? Where are all the houses? Why are LFN people fighting over old rotten houses? As for Joe Dicks comments about people driving 30 thousand dollar vehicles is that they have rec’d dollars from residential school payments thats the only reason. THIS IS THE MOST INFORMATION THAT LFN MEMBERS HAVE HEARD IN ALL THE NINE YEARS THAT LIARD IS CHIEF.
What kind of hot dogs?
What a crock….just use certain members too look good…especially went its your inlaws…...he should step down n should be accountable where had lfn money gone? he never consults with the community only few specific members which is all i guess in his head! We have nothing to show for but when he leaves LFN he’ll be set….way to go there just leave LFN broke….N STOP LYING already…This a serious GA u just want it there so only certain ppl can come n make u look good….if u have NOTHING to HIDE why dont u give members what they want n have in Watson mmmmm intresting?
I find this article by the Chief disgusting Maybe he should come to the soup kitchen and food bank. To suggest some people were there for the free hot dog or picking up there s.a. check goes to show you how he feels about his own people. i bet he doesnt have to go to the food bank and the alcohol abuse here is staggering. wheres the money he had for housing? who made the stupid mistake to buy these run down hotels and apartments? I talked to many first nations here who are disgruntled about alot of concerns they have and to be pushed aside aas only a few troublemakers is digusting. i thought he listened to his peoples concerns.seems to me hunting at Francis lake while all these people are around good be fatal.It doesnt matter where the G.A is there will always be alcoholand you have just called most of yourpeople drunks. So they want a change this year whats wrong with that as theyre leader.He works for his people not for himself. What happened to the elders opinion. I believe he has offendedalot of his people. We all need to work together and i find this article cold and callous.thank you.
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