Meeting to revisit Innu community alcohol ban

The newly elected chief at a Labrador Innu reserve is backing away from claims that he will abolish an alcohol ban in Natuashish.

Simeon Tshakapesh told CBC News Tuesday that he has called a meeting for late March to evaluate whether the current alcohol ban is working.

"I said to the people, I think the people should decide what they wanted. I told them that I was not in power, I told them that you were in power, whatever you wanted me to do, and I'll do it," he said.

On Monday, Tshakapesh, who won an election in Natuashish late last week by 15 votes, told CBC News he intended to end a prohibition on bringing alcohol into the community of more than 700 people.

"The bylaw has to be erased," he said. "That's what the community wishes to do, and that's what we're going to do."

Natuashish was settled in late 2002, when residents relocated from the island community of Davis Inlet. Social problems there, including rampant alcohol and drug abuse, particularly among young children, attracted international media attention.

RCMP said Monday that Tshakapesh told officers to stop enforcing the alcohol ban after he was elected. However, a spokesman said the police will continue to enforce it until there's another vote.

Since the alcohol ban was adopted two years ago, there's been a dramaticreduction in crime in Natuashish,RCMP told CBC News.

Tshakapesh said Tuesday that hes holding a meeting in the community on March 23 and he's invited the RCMP, Health Canada, and ministers with the provincial and federal government.

"We only hear one side of the story, and we want to hear both sides of the people who oppose it and the people who are in favour, and we want to hear those concerns from both sides," he said.

The alcohol ban was enacted after a controversial public vote in 2008 in the community gymnasium, where supporters lined up on one side of the gym, and those who opposed it lined up on the other side.

Tshakapesh says with no secret ballot, that vote was invalid and the alcohol ban can't be enforced.

"My opinion is you got to have a plebiscite. If you're going to have a bylaw or anything, you got to have a secret ballot," he said.