Caldwell First Nation elects new chief and council following powwow audit fallout

The Caldwell First Nation has elected a new chief and council, a decision some members described as a turning point for the band.

• Audit of Caldwell First Nation powwow shows $247K in 'unsupported' payouts

• Caldwell First Nation council removes chief and councillor following audit

The findings of a forensic audit may have been the motivation behind the election, but that vote is now bringing Caldwell together, according to newly-elected chief, Mary Duckworth.

"I'm very excited, nervous but excited, and I'm looking forward to what it's going to bring to the nation," she said Saturday night, after the ballots were counted.

Duckworth beat her lone competitor for the role, Lonnie Dodge,132 votes to 40.

James Peters, Stan Scott, Steve Simpson Sr. and Robyn van Oirschot were voted in as band councillors.

"Tonight was the turning point for the First Nation," explained van Oirschot, who will be serving as a councillor for the first time. "It was tense in the hall, but not in a way that was negative. It was more in the sense that the majority of people are ready to move in a new direction."

The reaction for chief was an uproar, everyone was so happy.-Theresa Lewis, Caldwell First Nation member

The election came after council removed former chief Lousie Hillier and councillor Lonnie Dodge following the forensic audit of a 2016 powwow.

Auditors found  $247,790 in "unsupported" prize payouts for drummers and dancers during the two-day event. They also pointed to a $190,000 contract to livestream the powwow and create a video telling the history of Caldwell, which Dodge signed to Moccasin media — a company owned by Hillier's son, David — without seeking any other bids.

Provincial police launched an investigation into "alleged financial crimes" within the nation, but determined no charges would be laid.

Dodge and Hillier lost their seats on council during a community meeting in September. Less than four months later, both were nominated as candidates in the election.

Hillier ran for a council seat and received 46 votes, too few to win one of the four positions available.

Duckworth said one of her first moves as chief will be to develop policies to ensure a similar situation can't happen again in the future.

"I think what speaks to our resilience as a nation is that even [former] chief Hillier and Lonnie Dodge came up to me after and we had discussion," said added. "I think that's important because and I think that we all need to work together and everybody has something to bring to the table and that's what I'm looking for."

A strong leader with a strong vision

Band member Theresa Lewis said the hall erupted in cheers when the count confirmed Duckworth as chief.

"The reaction for chief was an uproar, everyone was so happy. The band spoke," she said. "The new chief ... has a lot of good ideas. She's wholehearted, she cares about the members and I don't think we could get a better person in there than her."

Van Oischot agreed, describing Duckworth as a "strong leader" who she was eager to work with.

"First and foremost I think one of our priorities has to be to focus on policies and procedures that would hold the council accountable to the membership so we can be transparent with them," the councillor said of her plans for the future. "Then I think we need to focus on completing the final stages to establish a reserve and focus on economic development in the Leamington area."

Land claim process continues

The new chief takes over leadership of the 300-odd band members at an important time. The Caldwell First Nation has been working for years to establish a reserve near Leamington, Ont. area after receiving a $105-million land claim settlement from the federal government in 2010.

"We're waiting to be recognized by the Crown and have our land turned into Crown land so we have so we have the first nation," Duckworth explained, adding the chiefs and councillors who came before her have all be working toward the same goal.

"A lot of work has been done before before I got to this spot. We can't forget that. It's not just what I'm going to do, but we have to really look at what the past chiefs have done, the past councils and really be proud of that."