Good afternoon everyone,

Chief and Council want to speak openly with you about the concerns we’ve been hearing and reading over the past several days regarding LNIB operations and staffing. Many of you have reached out because you care deeply about our community, our programs, and the well-being of the people who work hard to support LNIB members. We hear you, and we want you to know that your concerns are not being ignored.

At the same time, we need to share some important reminders about how these matters must be handled.

As leadership, we have legal and ethical responsibilities to every employee – past and present. This means all personnel issues must follow proper processes, and those processes require confidentiality, fairness, and respect for everyone involved. These rules protect employees, protect LNIB, and protect the community. Because of this, Chief and Council cannot discuss or comment on individual staff matters, even when emotions are high or pressure is strong. We know that can feel frustrating, but it is done to safeguard people’s rights and ensure decisions are made properly.

We also know that many of you are asking for transparency and accountability. We value that. We are committed to reviewing concerns and addressing them through the right procedures. What we cannot do, however, is make decisions through social media posts, public confrontations, or protests at office entrances. These approaches may come from a place of wanting change, but they are causing harm.

Right now, some staff do not feel safe coming into work. When entrances are blocked, services shut down. When staff are targeted or named online, people feel intimidated and afraid.

This impacts not only the staff, it impacts the entire community. When staff cannot work safely, the programs and services our families rely on are disrupted.

We are asking everyone to please come together in a way that keeps our workplaces safe and our community functioning. Respectful conversations, calm dialogue, and proper reporting are far more effective than actions that create fear or division.

If you have concerns, there are appropriate ways to bring them forward:

• LNIB employees can file good-faith complaints through workplace policies and procedures.
• Community members can request conversations with Council. We are willing to meet and talk, but we cannot do so while staff are being prevented from working or while tensions are escalating.

Let us deal with these issues the right way, fairly, respectfully, and through the proper processes. Help us keep our workplaces safe. Help us keep our services running. Help us look after one another.

Thank you for caring about the well-being of our community. Thank you for expressing your concerns. And thank you to everyone who chooses to approach these conversations in a peaceful and respectful way. That is how we move forward together.

Chief & Council
Lower Nicola Indian Band