Blueberry River First Nation Elders call for council accountability

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Members of Blueberry River First Nation (BRFN) have had enough with their council.

The elders of BRFN held a meeting in Fort St. John on June 26th, calling for disputes to be settled with the Nation’s council regarding a historic ruling from the province’s supreme court in 2021.

According to a statement on the First Nation’s website, the court ruled that the province had violated BRFN’s rights by overdeveloping its traditional territory, impeding BRFN’s traditional activities such as hunting and fishing.

A land agreement would be signed in January 2023, with the province committing $200 million by 2025 to healing the land caused by “legacy industrial disturbance.”

The First Nation received an additional $87 million over three years, with an opportunity for increased benefits based on PNG revenue sharing through the end of the 2025 fiscal year.

Speaking to energeticcity.ca, BRFN elder Clarence Apsassin said implementing the details of the lawsuit is dividing the residents of the First Nation.

“We have to be involved now,” said Apsassin. “There’s tenure issues, land management issues. That’s where we are at right now.”

“There’s a lot of problems going on regarding direction without the people.”

Apsassin says the finger-pointing surrounding council needs to stop, adding that Vancouver-based Ratcliff LLP reached the 2021 lawsuit settlement, a firm BRFN has retained for about twenty years.

“Yes, they made the deal with the province, we wanted to ratify it. “[Council] said’ ‘You guys don’t want to ratify it, you’ll turn it down.’  Well, that’s our right to do so.”  

“Without the knowledge and participation in that agreement, it’s useless to us.”

In May, the BRFN signed the Gundy High Value One agreement with BC Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation Josie Osbourne, further outlining the nation’s say in industrial development in and around the reservation. 

While Chief Judy Desjarlais, a co-owner of Top Notch Oilfield Contracting, has been accused of having a conflict of interest being involved in the negotiations, Apsassin says this is not the case.

He insists that Desjarlais has resigned from the position and maintains that she is trying to be transparent with BRFN members.

“Councillors are still trying to say she’s trying to find work for her company,” said Apsassin. “It says she resigned on paper.  That is simply untrue.”

“That four active members are against the Chief.  Judy and Linda [Chipesia] are the only councillors trying to do the right thing.”

Elders pointed out six points during the meeting, including listening to members, ensuring customs are followed, hiring a band manager, creating a land management and a comprehensive community plan for BRFN, a new economic development plan, and updating the 2017 band code.

The Elders have given the council 30 days to comply in an email, otherwise they will ask for their resignations and vote for a new council.

Apsassin says the entire situation is based on “greed,” and BRFN is run like a dictatorship.

“Council cannot continue making decisions and doing something like this and making it run without the people,” said Apsassin.

Energeticcity.ca reached out to BRFN Chief Judy Desjarlais and councillors for further comment, but none responded by publication time.