The Skin Tyee Nation is still feeling the effects of an internal shakeup from last summer.

The band is still without access to nearly $4 million from its Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) bank account, due to the organizational shuffle which saw the band manager and chief each being unceremoniously removed in short order. The bank freeze has left the nation unable to pay employees and has prevented members on income assistance or disability from receiving payments. The band is also without garbage removal and snow plowing as they have no money to pay for these services. 

Former band manager Nathan Michaluk was terminated from his role in August of last year after an incident involving firearms and weapons. He faces charges of careless use or storage of a firearm and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and has made five appearances in court since then, his most recent being on Jan. 22. He is scheduled to appear in court once again on Feb. 18.

Shortly thereafter, chief Ryan Tom was then voted out by an overwhelming majority, during an emergency meeting vote in October. The band is currently without a manager or chief. 

Gabriel Tom is the band's deputy chief, but the problem of accessing the community's funds still remains.

Ryan Tom, Gabriel Tom and councillor Shirley Wilson were each listed as signing authorities for the RBC bank account, as all banking authorizations require two signatures. However, in the midst of the shakeup, Gabriel Tom and Wilson found out that they had been removed as bank signatories, and had lost access to Skin Tyee's internal IT services which locked them out of their email accounts.

An elected chief and two councillors govern the Skin Tyee, and removing any of the three signing authorities requires signatures from the other two members of the council. Gabriel Tom and Wilson were not aware of this decision, and when they raised the issue with RBC, asking to reinstate them as signing authorities, the bank promptly froze the band's nearly $4 million account.

Gabriel Tom asked the bank to unfreeze the account, but RBC in turn asked the band to provide a judicial statement signed by a Supreme Court judge that would list a signing authority.

Elders committee representative Helen Michelle said that the band is still in a difficult waiting period.

"No funds yet, still waiting for banks," she said. "Lawyers [are] still working on getting funds released to deputy chief and council."

She added that the freeze has been tough on the community and people are hurting, specifically the elders who rely on the postponed services.

RBC has declined to comment citing privacy concerns.