Conflict over governance of Pehdzeh Ki First Nation

Some residents of Wrigley say the chief and council of Pehdzeh Ki First Nation have been removed from office, while others say those efforts were improper.

A petition dated February 27, shared with Cabin Radio, seeks to remove the First Nation’s chief and council due to “a lack of confidence in their leadership skills and knowledge.” It appeared to have just under 30 signatures.

Rose Moses is among several residents that started the petition.

“It’s been coming for some time,” she said.

“It’s our right as members to stand up for ourselves and that’s what we’re doing. We’re standing up for ourselves and if you don’t want to meet with us, you won’t talk to us, maybe we’ll get somebody else in there that can work with us as members.”

Moses raised concerns about transparency and accountability, claiming that the chief has stopped answering members’ calls, chief and council have declined to hold public meetings, and the First Nation does not have a financial officer.

“As members, we wanted to know what was going on,” she said.

“Everything done in these community decisions … the members should be approached and asked, and none of that’s been going on.”

Rose alleged a lack of confidence in leadership and an atmosphere that is “really very toxic.”

“It is so split up. We should all be united as a community, but we’re not,” she said.

“Especially when you’re in leadership, you should be the one that’s out there and promoting healthy lifestyles and healthy relationships and they don’t.”

According to Moses, some members of the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation held a meeting on April 16 where the roughly 25 people in attendance voted in favour of the petition.

A band council resolution shared with Cabin Radio states that chief and council were replaced by Craig Cli as interim chief and Rose Moses, Setia Antoine, Erwin Cli, Lloyd Moses, Davis Moses and Darcey E Moses as interim councillors.

That resolution stated those people will remain in place until an election for a new chief and council is held on May 30. The document was signed by the interim chief and four of the listed interim councillors.

Resolution not valid, chief says

Chief Jamie Moses, however, said he does not recognize that resolution as valid. Moses said that’s also the position of council members and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, also known as Cirnac.

The First Nations Elections Act states that a chief and council’s term of office may cease if they are removed from office by a petition in accordance with regulations outlining the proportion of the electorate who must sign that petition and the period during which that petition must be filed.

Moses said he was told by Cirnac that at least half of a First Nation’s membership must sign such a petition. In the case of Pehdzeh Ki First Nation, he said, that would require the support of about 157 members.

“It was just one family and it did not meet quorum so those decisions are invalid,” he said of the April 16 meeting. “Cirnac is still recognizing us as chief and council.”

Cirnac had not responded to Cabin Radio’s request for comment by the time of publication.

Chief disputes allegations

Moses disputed allegations that chief and council have not held public meetings and that he has not answered calls. He said a public meeting is planned for April 29 and an annual general meeting for June 16.

Moses said previous public meetings have not been well attended. For example, he said, only two people attended a meeting in February.

He said the First Nation has been sending newsletters to keep members informed and putting information on issues such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway in residents’ mailboxes.

“No calls have been ignored,” he said. “We have an open door policy … we have no information to hide from anybody.”

Moses said the First Nation’s financial officer works half days because she has children and is currently on leave during spring breakup. He said the First Nation is in the process of hiring a financial director to ensure programming and budgets are up to date.

Jesse Nekenyia-Moses, better known as Jamie Moses, was elected as chief with around 49 percent of the vote in April 2024 alongside Albert Clille, Jensen Clille, Nicole Hardisty, Jason Horesay, Freddie Lennie and David Moses as councillors.

The Pehdzeh Ki First Nation has more than 300 band members, not all of whom live in Wrigley.

According to the 2021 census, the Dehcho community had a population of 117 people. The NWT Bureau of Statistics estimates that Wrigley’s population may have reached 131 by 2024.