The casino on the Tobique reserve in New Brunswick was shut down Monday night by a group of native elders that accuses band leaders of mishandling reserve money.

The elders say the casino will stay closed until they see greater accountability on the part of the leaders.

Their protest began early Monday morning as more than 40 people stormed the band office, upset because the chief and councillors have recently decided to give themselves salaries of $1,000 a week. Meanwhile, elders on the reserve had just been told their monthly support cheques would soon be eliminated.

"I think we can understand Indian Affairs doing this to us, but (not) our own people, you know, stealing from us-- and I'm going to say stealing because it's what they're doing," said 69-year-old Reena Sappier.

It wasn't until the protesters took the front door off the reserve office that the band council agreed to a meeting.

Chief Bernard Edwin denied any wrongdoing. He said if the band was committing fraud, the federal government would catch them.

"We're the most audited reserve in Atlantic Canada. If there was any misconception or anything done, we'd be shut down," Edwin said.

The protesters wanted the band councillors to sign a paper promising to address their concerns. When the councillors refused, the protesters decided to shut down the reserve casino and bingo hall. They say the facilities stay closed until their demands are met -- more accountability from the reserve and greater respect for the elders.