Efforts to give non-aboriginal people in Carcross a democratic voice have been continually and deliberately thwarted by the local first nation's band, say community members.

The result, they maintain, is a lack of local autonomy and economic uncertainty.

In an interview this morning, Florian Kessler, a former elected member of the now defunct Carcross Area Advisory Committee (CAAPC), said he and his fellow elected representatives resigned their positions this week following deliberate efforts by the Carcross Tagish First Nation (CTFN) to thwart democratic initiatives.

'We pointed out in our resignation that we haven't been able to get anywhere,' he said.

'The non-native residents of Carcross have no voice.

'We're looking for democracy.'

CAAPC is an ad-hoc local advisory committee which consists of three elected members from the community at large and three CTFN members appointed by the band's chief and council.

Unlike a local advisory council, which has its legitimacy authorized by a government order in council, the CAAPC had no legislated authority and was more of a grassroots democratic initiative.

Kessler said there was now a push to have an local advisory council in the community which would see elected members of the community provide direction to decision makers the Yukon government on local issues, including land planning and economic development.

Kessler and fellow elected CAAPC members Ken Rombough and Robert Huesler voiced their frustration in a May 8 resignation letter to Community Services Minister Glenn Hart.

'We the former elected representatives of CAAPC wish to inform you of our resignation from this process,' the letter states.

'We all resent the countless unproductive hours we have spent volunteering our most precious commodity, our personal time, at meetings that were deliberately not attended by CTFN appointed members.

'In over three years of meetings nothing has been accomplished other than bring fiscal accountability to this group, only to have our integrity insulted by not being able to use some of the funds we have accumulated for the purpose of community representation to our own elected government.'

The resigning members, the letter also states, now favour instituting a local advisory council that is recognized by YTG, through an order in council, consisting of elected members.

In an April 19 letter from CTFN chief Mark Wedge to Rombough and Carcross MLA Patrick Rouble, Wedge states the CTFN does not support a local advisory council at this time.

'On behalf of the CTFN, I am providing you with official notice that under the CTFN Final and Self Government Agreements with Canada and Yukon, a process for community planning must be implemented.

'If the (local advisory council) proceeds the CTFN will have to consider removing our first nation land selections from the community planning zones.

'The Land Use Team is currently reviewing the timelines for the Carcross community plans and look forward to working with the community.

'I trust this will inform you of the CTFN's input on moving forward with the (local advisory council) process.'

Wedge was contacted this morning about his letter but could not be reached for comment.

Kessler said since the CAAPC was instituted in the 1990s, the group has very seldom been able to make any decisions as they were not able to achieve quorum during their meetings.

The lack of quorum, the number of people required to be in attendance at a meeting to give the meeting legitimacy, he said, is due to the fact that the appointed CTFN members of CAAPC rarely attend meetings.

Quorum requirements for CAAPC, he added, were that at least two non-first nation members and two first nation members attended a meeting.

'We've had trouble ever since the appointments started happening.

'It's done on purpose, this is designed.'

Kessler said without quorum the group had been unable to make any decisions, or write any cheques meaning the group has been unable to pay for hall rentals or pay the committee secretary.

According to Linda Pringle, CAAPC's former secretary, there have been 14 meetings of CAAPC since January 14 with only five meetings able to achieve quorum.

Of the 14 meetings, she said, there were a total of five meetings where no CTFN members attended.

Over the past several years, Pringle said, the appointed members of CAAPC have been replaced by chief and council several times.

The problem of nonattendance, she added, has persisted following each new appointment.

This morning Murray Lundberg, a member of the recently formed Carcross local advisory council steering committee, said he felt community members needed a locally elected council, consisting of non-first nations and first nations members, because Carcross should have a democracy and a degree of local autonomy.

'We need a (local advisory council) because the community as a whole does not have a voice right now.'

He said with several initiatives presently being considered in Carcross, including waterfront development and the need for a secondary access road, there was a need to provide the Yukon government with local input.

'Right now anyone looking to invest in Carcross would have to go to the government's lands branch office.

'No one there knows enough about Carcross to know what's actually going on,' he said.

He said he would like to see the CTFN participate in the formation of a local council, but that at present it appeared the first nation was not interested in participating.

'They've said they'll step away from cooperating if we try to have a democratically elected council.'