My Response:
Yes, I am very serious about running for chief and the commitments and dedication needed for the position, but have faced many barriers to moving back to our reserve over the past many years, the two main barriers being:
First, although I have been on the housing list for over 10 years, I have yet to be selected. Even though, I live a drug and alcohol free life, have kids, have been consistently employed (on and off-reserve), have excellent credit and, can not help but think it has been for political reasons.
Second, I would have to find a new daycare for my youngest daughter. The daycare she is at (WFN Child Development Ctr) accepts infants and the OIB daycare does not. This seems odd, because on our reserve we have an average of 12-15 babies per year and I think we need to take some serious steps to getting the certification or the additional space needed for our daycare.
There are also other important considerations that have prevented me from moving back, which include: Where would I work? I have been taking classes at UBC-O (last one this Dec). My wife works at the Ki-low-na Friendship Center and goes to school at UBC-O and a move would affect her.
Ultimately, I think the biggest factor to not moving home these past few years has been; not being selected by the OIB Housing committee. The result of past family discussions on moving home has ended with: Why rent in the Town of Oliver, when we can continue to rent in the WFN family housing?
However, I am committed to the position of Chief and will be there everyday. Currently, we do not have someone who is there enough and have heard this from a number of concerned members. But, this I would have to put to the whole membership for consideration: How many times has our current Chief been in the office over the past 2 years? Has that been enough for you as a band member?
I understand that he has speaking engagements, meetings, conferences, other National/Regional/Provincial Board and committee commitments and travels for business purposes, but I believe that a Chief should be home with his community, because their People are their first responsibility.
That is why I believe that one person should not hold all the top positions of our Band, because not one person can commit fully to all of them, all the time. It really is impossible, and therefore, some areas suffer. At times, travel may be needed but if one individual is travelling out of requirements as Chief and CEO, then their time away from home doubles.
Currently, I am only one hour away, and if elected, will begin the necessary process and commit to the steps needed to move home.
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2 comments:
Ethan,
You state that you have been on the housing list for 10 yrs, and believe it is for political reasons that you have not been chosen yet for a house.
I received an email from you where you mentioned this before. I wrote to you back then and questioned you on it, because I thought to myself “gee you’re right, you should have a house”. You replied to me & said that you had first applied for housing 10 - 14 yrs ago and since then filled out 3 separate applications. Then in actuality you have only put your name in 4 times to be chosen for a house.
Everyone that wants a house has to follow the same guidelines & process.
Everyone has to fill out an application form. And it has to been updated every year. If you have kids, get married, situation changes etc, your application must be kept up to date. And write an honest personal letter explaining you situation every year. The housing committee will not fill out your yearly application or update it for you if you forget to do it.
It bothers me that you are not stating the actual facts regarding housing. You accuse the present leadership of not being "transparent" but you are being misleading. As I understand it, chief and council is not on the housing committee.
In regards to the OIB daycare; yes we need infant daycare. But this is something that our daycare has already approached, and has been trying very hard to do. My daughter’s name was added to a list of parents that need infant daycare. Have you added your names as parents that need it? The more they have, the better their chances will be at securing the funding the next time around.
Linda Anderson
This is interesting. I wonder if there is a paper trail over the years to indicate the changes to the application process, the changes to the requirements needed. Has anything been placed in the newsletter over the years to indicate any of these requirements? How does the membership learn about these requirements? Are any and all changes, requirements, guidelines, processes, information, provided to the band members? Is there a communique sent out to say that housing applications need to be updated and does everyone on the housing list receive these communiques, reminders, notices of renewal? Is there opportunity for band members to present their case to the housing committee or are these closed meetings?
It is interesting that a defensive stance is taken. I feel if someone is a councillor, they should try and see the other person's point of view, see if there are real concerns, see if there maybe needs to be changes made to rectify or address the issues. If even one person has a concern, then see what the problem is. Instead, the stance is accusatory, a "blame the other" stance.
If Ethan's name has only been put in four times, it is still four times denied. How are people selected for a house? Are selections based on need? overcrowding? number of children? ability to pay? commitment to rental agreement?
A previous question addressed to Ethan was "If you are elected, how will you deal with all the rental arrears?" Obviously, one of the criteria for housing selection is not "ability to pay," or "commitment to the rental agreement" considering all the rental arrears the band has to deal with.
Another question is who selects the housing committee, the education committee, etc. etc. Are there terms of service, or are you on the committees for life? If someone disagrees with the way things are done at these committee meetings, are they excluded from meetings?
Has the chief and council considered offering an information session on how to apply for housing, what is required, what the applicant needs to do to remain on the housing list? Has there been a process to show the different alternatives such as social housing, obtaining a mortgage from a bank, building your own etc.
It will be interesting to see the response and the "tone" of the response :-)
Maxine
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