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Two ousted members of the Caldwell First Nation band council are planning to run again, despite the controversy surrounding how finances were handled for a powwow.

The Chatham Daily News learned from Caldwell band members that former band councillor Lonnie Dodge is one of two candidates seeking the chief’s position, and former chief Louise Hillier is running for one of the four council seats. They were removed from band council in September after a forensic audit detailed their roles in a powwow that resulted in a forensic audit being undertaken.

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Hillier did not respond to requests for comment. Dodge refused to comment Tuesday.

However, current band councillor Mary Duckworth, who is running against Dodge for the chief’s position in the Jan. 20, 2018, election, said she aims to bring about peace and harmony if elected.

Duckworth said the issue surrounding the August 2016 powwow and the media attention it attracted “doesn’t define all of Caldwell. We have a lot of good people in Caldwell.” Despite what has happened, she said, “we need to come together and find a way through that and be good to each other.”