To The Editor,
The recent initiative by Lower Similkameen Indian Band chief and council who put forth a request to the membership asking approval of a loan for a new office building got turned down, stopping the effort for now.
Many of the members like myself were surprised that the issue was even on the table and being pushed forward when we knew little to nothing about it.
Rumor has it that band council is justifying their efforts by using something that had been in the works back in 1990s and died at the time for what ever reason.
Many of us wonder how it could be conceived the same out come would be inevitable, band members who were only babies in 1990s are all now eligible to vote, and many who voted back then have passed on?
The problem most members see, especially the elders is that our council has given themselves permission to operate outside the scrutiny of the membership and actually believe that this is okay.
Department heads have also taken the liberty of operating individually and the amount of overlap and double staffing has gone unnoticed, contributing to the problem.
This does not mean we have bad people at the controls, it is that those attempting to do the work are not properly informed. Most do not have required skills, and few if any have ever worked outside First Nations, so they do the best that they can.
The time may be now for the membership to help by showing our unity and identifying a sequence of order that must be followed prior to major initiatives or expenditures.
Once a pecking order has been established and good support is available for the workers, our office and administration will be able to produce more with less to become a efficient and a pleasant place of employment.
Our people are capable, what they need is guidance, training, and support to better understand the work they are being asked to do. Leadership must always be visible and present to maintain a well organized work environment.
It is easy to criticize but extremely important for our people to understand that we must stay positive and offer only advice and support at times of debate.
Thank you,
Darryl R. Brewer
LSIB Band member