The Nisga鈥檃 Lisims Government is seeking a gag order against its internet technology manager, Andre Cardinal, and says the executive has authorized an independent investigation into the caustic allegations he levelled against senior staff earlier this month.
鈥淭he integrity of NLG and its employees have been compromised,鈥� wrote NLG President Eva Clayton in a communique to members of the northern B.C. nation May 25. 鈥淏ecause the integrity of the Nisga鈥檃 Nation is in question, and on advice from the Council of Elders to conduct a thorough independent investigation, the NLG Executive unanimously passed a motion to take a special committee to oversee the investigation by an independent investigator with no ties to NLG.鈥�
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It鈥檚 alleged that Cardinal photographed financial documents from the desk of NLG chief financial officer Terry Holt and copied sensitive emails from other staff through a fake email account. In a lengthy message emailed to members of the Nisga鈥檃 Nation, Cardinal also made 鈥渕alicious鈥� accusations against the NLG and its senior employees 鈥渢hat strike at the heart of our community and our government,鈥� according to a previous May 17 communique from Clayton.
Clayton asked members to delete the message and refrain from speculating on the allegations.
The NLG is not releasing the content of Cardinal鈥檚 message and is asking the BC Supreme Court to seal an affidavit in which the message can be read.
Cardinal has been placed on administrative leave while the NLG is also seeking an injunction from the BC Supreme Court to stop him from revealing further information.
The court actions however are not keeping Cardinal quiet. On Facebook Thursday, in what he said is the first of several short articles to come, he alluded to significant power imbalances and nepotism impacting the nation鈥檚 democracy in a post explaining the structure and hierarchy of the Nisga鈥檃 Lisims Government.
鈥淚 want to educate my Nisga鈥檃 friends on how their system of government works, its power structure, and how it can be co-opted, robbing the average citizen of participation,鈥� he wrote.
鈥淢y personal view of these new treaty systems of government, is that it is preventing Indigenous peoples from thriving on their own lands, because a lack of true transparency and accountability which is the corner stone of a truly functioning democracy.鈥�
None of Cardinal鈥檚 accusations have been proven in court.
The Nisga鈥檃 Treaty, signed in 1998, is celebrated as B.C.鈥檚 first modern day treaty. It went into effect in 2000, giving the new nation autonomy from the federal government and control over their land and resources.
quinn@terracestandard.com
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