Rodger Redman will continue to serve as chief of the Standing Buffalo First Nation.
In a mediated resolution to the dispute, Roberta Soo-Oyawaste withdrew her claim to the position of band chief after Redman agreed to advance the previously proposed date for elections for new chief and council.
The two sides met in front of a Federal Court of Canada justice Wednesday morning in an effort to resolve the impasse between Redman and Soo-Oyawaste over the matter of who held the position of band chief.
Redman was impeached by band Senate in March, with Soo-Oyawaste winning a March 16 election of new chief and council. Redman refused to acknowledge the impeachment, and refused to recognize the March 16 election as being valid - maintianing his claim to the position of band chief.
Since the March election, both parties laid claim to the post of chief prompting Soo-Oyawaste to seek an injunction from the courts looking to have Redman absolved of his financial control of the band accounts.
Justice Douglas Campbell presided over the matter, indicating that his role at the hearing was not to determine which of the two parties was, in fact, band chief but to determine whether Soo-Oyawaste had legal standing to have her injunction granted.
Campbell listened to morning arguments from both the appelant and respondent before encouraging both parties to strike a mutually acceptable solution to the dispute.
After a short recess, counsel for both sides presented a proposal to end the dispute to the court, Justice Campbell accepted the proposal and acknowledged the efforts of both sides to resolve the matter.
The proposal sees Redman lay sole claim to the position of band chief, with the promise of moving forward the chief and council elections.
The elections were originally scheduled for November. However, due to elevated tensions on the reserve the election was re-scheduled for September
Pending approval from band elders, the amended election date for chief and council on the Standing Buffalo First Nation will be held Aug. 2.
