Suspensions from Band Council
In a Band Council meeting earlier this week (video is to be published online over the weekend) - Tumia Knott and Les Antone were suspended from council effective immediately. They have not attended council meetings, and have been working with Marilyn Gabriel to undermine Kwantlen’s traditional governance code. Their behaviour has worsened over the last week, and this Band Council must take a firm stand in defence of the rights of Kwantlen People.
Sto:lo Traditional Law
A screenshot of the email from Marilyn Gabriel’s communications team, claiming that the private letter printed on STC letterhead was actually from Sto:lo Tribal Council.
In a letter to Kwantlen band members sent on December 1st, two members of the Sto:lo Tribal Council made this statement:
“As we close this letter, we were reminded about a project that the STC carried out. We hired a researcher to look at traditional Stó:lō leadership. This report made recommendations that our communities reject the Indian Act election system. We asked our communities to return to a traditional Stó:lō government model. In that model, our ancestors groomed promising young family members for leadership. Then and now, we support rejection of the Indian Act election system. We supported then and now returning to a traditional Stó:lō governance model.“
We have learned through media sources that the letter was not from Sto:lo Tribal Council, but was in fact a private letter from Doug Kelly, and Clarence Pennier - and that Sto:lo Tribal Council leader, Tyrone McNeil did not sign it. Marilyn Gabriel’s gang has tried to present this letter to Kwantlen people as if it were really from the Sto:lo Tribal Council. We cannot say if this is another example of Marilyn’s incompetence, or an attempt by her to mislead Kwantlen people.
Regardless of the source, the letter does have one important actual fact in it. And that is the reference to Sto:lo law, and the report they commissioned. That report was written by Dr Keith Thor Carlson, and can be found by clicking this link. In the report, they describe how failed leaders like Marilyn Gabriel are treated under the Sto:lo traditional law Marilyn Gabriel’s gang says they follow:
"The power of a Yewal Siya:m was restricted by cultural dictates requiring consensus among family leaders on all major decisions. He had no means of compelling compliance other than relying on others to respect his exalted social status. He held his position only as long as his community let him. He could be deposed by the "Elders and chief men of the tribe" at any time should he ever ever prove himself incompetent by acting selfish, or mean, or neglectful of the material well being of the tribe."
Sto:lo law is clear. Leaders can be removed. They can be removed by the people. This can be done at any time in a meeting of members of the nation.
This was done for Marilyn Gabriel. And, Tumia Knott and Les Antone have signed documents saying that this isn’t so.
Kwantlen Traditional Law
Marilyn Gabriel and her gang, say that Kwantlen law says that only the Chief and Council can call a band meeting or general assembly to vote on something as serious as who is the chief and who is on council. This is not true. She made this up. Here is Marilyn Gabriel, from a 2019 interview, explaining how our last General Assembly was called, the one where she was elected Hereditary Chief, and where Tumia and Les were elected to council:
Here’s the transcript starting at 1:34:
Robert Jago: So Bob Thomas called the vote?
Marilyn Gabriel: Well he said the people did.
Robert Jago: Oh I see.
Marilyn Gabriel: That’s what we were told. So we went, we honoured that.
In 1993, the last time Kwantlen held a General Assembly, it was called by the people, not the Chief and Council. How do we know? Because Marilyn told us. This was backed up by elders and by written documentation, including the election notice.
So is Marilyn Gabriel and her gang telling the truth when they say that our tradition is that only chief and council can call this type of meeting? No.
But in spite of that, again, Tumia and Les are working with failed former chief Marilyn Gabriel in defiance of our laws and customs, and are holding on to the band office with the help of Indigenous Services Canada - the federal government organization that administers the Indian Act.
What Marilyn and her gang don’t understand is that our traditions and laws aren’t a buffet - you don’t get to pick and choose depending on your appetites. If our traditions and laws matter - all of them matter - even when they’re inconvenient to you.
Intimidating Band Employees
We have received numerous reports from Band Council employees informing us that certain people are spreading rumours that this Band Council is planning to terminate Band employees, change their pay, change their duties, or seek retribution. These claims are entirely false.
This Band Council is acting with the mandate of the Kwantlen people, according to our nation’s traditional laws. We do not have the mandate from the people to terminate band employees from their jobs. We have one task: bring the new Governance Code to the people, a code based on the consensus from Four Directions.
People spreading rumours that jobs are being threatened are engaging in intimidation. There are certain people who don’t have the ability to persuade others with their words, so instead they try and scare people into supporting them. Kwantlen people aren’t going to let themselves be pushed around like that.
Tumia’s and Les’ refusal to allow for the smooth transition of power has created a breeding ground for this fear mongering - and it is causing needless worry for too many band employees.
The waste and incompetence of Marilyn Gabriel’s failed chieftainship are soon to be behind us. And that means more money for services, more money for disbursements, more money for wages and benefits, and more money to hire more band employees.
No band employees will be terminated, demoted, or anything else by this Band Council. Saying otherwise is a scare tactic.
Discouraging Participation in Reviewing the New Governance Code
The November 27th General Assembly didn’t just remove Marilyn Gabriel, it also ordered this Band Council to present the Nation with a New Custom Governance Code within 10 days, and then bring it to a vote within 90 days. The code was to be based on the consensus produced by Four Directions Management during the 2019-2021 consultations.
Earlier this year and last year, Marilyn and her gang promised to bring the new governance code to the people, and then never did. Now that there is a governance code before the people, they are saying that there was no consensus after all, and they had their lawyer tell us they don’t even know if Kwantlen people want reform at all.
Tumia and Les make this even worse by sending a letter earlier this week telling Kwantlen people not to participate in reviewing the new Governance Code or voting on it. This is beyond disgusting - discouraging public participation is one of the worst things an elected leader can do.
Suspension from Council
Because of their support for Marilyn Gabriel, and her attempt to overthrow Kwantlen’s laws in order to stay in power - this Band Council has voted unanimously to suspend Tumia Knott and Les Antone without pay, until they appear before Band Council to justify their actions.
NB: The release of this BCR was delayed, to allow for legal review.