A group of Spuzzum First Nation (SFN) members are demanding the resignation of Spuzzum Chief James Hobart and Spuzzum Coun. Diana Stromquist.
A peaceful protest was held by the group on July 29 during the local First Fish Ceremony, denouncing Spuzzum leadership.
The group made their feelings clear after they failed to receive a response from Spuzzum’s chief and council regarding what they say are concerns about lack of communication, lack of transparency and consultation, and misuse of authority.
Shawn Bobb, a member of SFN and a lawyer who works for GVR LAW, said that the ceremony was a “whistles and bells” advertisement meant to make Hobart look good — one meant to distract people from noticing that there are SFN members, who live in the community, who aren’t happy with Hobart. “He is not our Chief. He doesn’t answer to us. He doesn’t listen to us,” Bobb said.
“So we’re going to come here, we’re going to be present. We’re going to be here in solidarity. We’re going to make our voices heard.”
Members were on hand for the duration of the event to distribute pamphlets and flyers, speak to attendees, and quietly hold up picket signs during Hobart’s thank you speech.
Among those present were Bobb, former Spuzzum Chief Harold Bobb, Fraser Cascade School District 78 trustee Cathy Speth, a few Spuzzum elders, and a few younger members of Spuzzum, such as Hope Secondary’s First Nation support worker Jessica Poirier.
Bobb said they have been growing increasingly frustrated and alarmed by the “lack of consultation” regarding important SFN decisions.
He said this includes: allegedly failing to have public council meetings with SFN members on important decisions since 2019; changing Spuzzum’s fish logo to the grandmother logo, despite SFN members voting in favour of continuing to use the fish logo; allegedly interfering/tampering with voting results; allegedly ostracizing fellow Spuzzum Coun. Angela Mitchell; and allegedly “removing Spuzzum as a member of the Nlaka’pamux Tribal Council without consultation or knowledge of membership.”
Bobb said Hobart and Stromquist removed Spuzzum from being part of the Tribal Council and enrolled SFN in First Nation Health Authority “without consultation.”
“We don’t even know if it’s a good thing or bad thing. However, First Nation Authority requires proof from Spuzzum that they in fact consulted with the people and the people approved the removal of health and medical services from Tribal. Which they can’t do because they were never consulted,” he said.
“So now you have people in the community who rely on these services, to help them with their critical issues and their quality of life, and now nobody knows what’s going on.”
According to their website, the Nlaka’pamux Tribal Council (NNTC) exists to protect and advance Nlaka’pamux title and rights. For many years, they were made up of the communities of Boothroyd Indian Band, Lytton First Nation, Oregon Jack Creek Band, Skuppah Indian Band, and SFN.
As of 2023, SFN is no longer part of the council.
Bobb said he first got properly involved in 2022, during SFN’s last election for chief. He said he received several complaints from SFN members about election irregularities, and those concerns were allegedly dismissed by Onefeather, who runs the election polls for First Nations communities in the area.
He appealed the decision, and Bobb said the board concluded that although there were violations, they “could not have reasonably affected the outcome of the election.”
Bobb then submitted a judicial review, which is still underway through the Federal Court of Canada
He said the group is also frustrated with Hobart choosing to use the grandmother logo instead of the fish logo. SFN voted 64-51, in favour of the fish logo, in a 2018 referendum.
Bobb said although the grandmother logo is a “good thing” – it’s related to a book written by a residential school survivor who is connected to Spuzzum – it was adopted without consultation.
Bobb said that any attempt at getting any of these issues addressed over the past three years has resulted in no response and no meetings between the SFN community and leadership.
The group hopes that getting the information out to the public will help to lead to “positive change.”
Hobart responded to the claims this week through The Standard, saying he came into the role as chief when SFN was in financial dire straits. He said he and Stromquist have worked hard to steady the ship in the years since, and that most members of the community are looking forward.
He called the protesters a fringe group that should not have used a cultural celebration as a place to voice concerns.
“Look at it as the entertainment it is, but don’t give it much weight,” he said. “If I had taken a poll that day, of who would have wanted us to resign, the eight or 10 people that were there would have been swallowed up by the rest.”
According to Hobart, there were SFN members who circulated letters denouncing the protest and commending SFN’s leadership.
Hobart said the crowd of supporters are the SFN members looking towards the band’s future. He also said that he and Stromquist had “done nothing wrong” and that any allegations about the past election were just that.
“They (the allegations) are slowly being realized as just allegations,” he said. “There’s still some bitter people that want to have the minute things become larger than life so that it will actually distract from the reality that, there are members that know we have money that want to go back in place (back to the past) so that we can go back to bankruptcy.
“There are people that want to distract us from (SFN’s future) and take steps backwards. I don’t know why. It’s like the federal government at one time wound us up to be ‘us’ and ‘them’.” You know, to divide and conquer. And now, sadly, some of those people have the key to the switch and they’re winding up their own back.”
For updates on the story be sure to check out the Standard in the upcoming weeks.
READ MORE: Photos: Peaceful protest doesn’t disrupt Spuzzum First Nation’s First Fish Ceremony
@KemoneMoodley
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