Penticton Indian Band office occupied as band members demand answers

PENTICTON – Demands for financial clarity and continuing concerns over Penticton Indian Band leadership prompted an occupation of the band’s administrative offices today.

Band members arrived at the Penticton Indian Band offices, located at 841 Westhills Dr., this morning, July 31, with placards, coolers and lawn chairs. The occupation only applies to the band administration office, directed at the chief and council, interim band administrator and the band's legal advisor while other band services would be unaffected, according to a media release from the protesters.

A number of band members have voiced concerns over the band’s present chief and council for the past year. Today’s protest was the result of a recent announcement of a countersuit initiated by band administration over the firing of its former chief administrative officer.

Band elder Pierre Kruger said present Chief Chad Eneas’ family were instrumental the last time the band’s administrative offices were occupied in 2001. He said that incident, which lasted a month, resulted in the band developing their own financial and administrative bylaw, along with process and procedures that have been abandoned by the present administration.

The group of occupiers are also demanding a forensic audit going back four years, proper financial updates, input in band restructuring and a consensus among band elders regarding any declarations made.

Kruger said Chief Eneas was elected on a platform of promises to improve the lives of women and children in the band, but he alleges 11 women working in the administrative office have been let go or fired since the election and were replaced by non-band members.

He couldn't say how long the occupation would last.

Administrative personnel arriving for their workday were surprised by the action.

Band communications director Dawn Russell said the band office has been shut down at least twice before, recalling the 2001 episode and another incident in the 1970s.

“Our community members are not here about violence. They’re here about having their concerns addressed,” she said, adding band administrators wanted to give them time to be heard and provide the answers they want.

Interim Penticton Indian Band chief administrative officer Jonathan Baynes attributes today’s action to “the frustration of the community and frustration of chief and council."

Baynes said some of the concerns raised by the group were justified and shared by chief and council.

“There has been a lack of information provided by the administration through chief and council to be able to make decisions. I think that’s been problematic,” he said.

Baynes said the band’s new chief financial officer will be researching financial records over the past 10 years. He said information was not always documented, and the new government has “really struggled to get that information.”

With the recent dismissal of the band’s chief administrator, changes have been made making the financial officer directly responsible to the chief and council, for complete transparency, he said.

“Once they get the information, they’ll share it with the community,” Baynes said.

He said the information provided by previous administrations was "politically expedient" and in some cases was not accurate so the community may not have a full picture adding the current administration is looking at the past 10 years of financial information to figure out what has happened.

A recent audit on the band’s finances has just completed. Baynes says the band’s financial standing is good and he doesn’t think there has been any massive fraud, just housekeeping, mismanagement and a lack of transparency regarding financial matters.

“What we’re seeing today is some frustration around that. We’ll be sitting down with those occupying the administrative offices to see how we can address their concerns.”

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