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10 Tuesday August 4 2015 By DALI CARMICHAEL Members of the Gwichya Gwichin Band GGB of Tsiigehtchic are continuing to appeal the communitys recent election in which the incumbent chief was acclaimed to his posi- tion using a draft election code. Five letters of appeal sent by GGB mem- bers to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern De- velopment Canada AANDC have gone un- answered forcing appellants to use alterna- tive measures to overturn the acclamation of Chief Phillip Blake who took an oath of ofce on July 9. One member Robyn Lennie has started an online petition an option laid out under section 16 of the new election code. What Im hoping to attain with this peti- tion is enough eligible signatures to hopefully remove chief and council from their seats to allow the time needed to properly orchestrate a fair election Lennie said. Another appellant Anna May MacLeod is asking to press charges against the band for breaching election code laws. Others have suggested using a judicial review process to overturn the election. Its unfortunate because it gets into the courts but there is a lot of criteria that would justify the ve appellants considering ling a joint application for a judicial review by the federal court of Canada and it would be for errors of law committed by the Gwichya Gwichin Band said Graeme Drew a consul- tant hired by the band to aid in the creation of the election code who was also appointed chief electoral ofcer. Gwichya Gwichin members turning to petitions courts to appeal election A fracture in the process Over the past year the GGB participated in an AANDC-funded pilot project to write a new election code for the community in order to replace problematic proxy voting with tele- phone and electronic vote casting. The new code was intended to be ratied in time for this years election in June but multiple ref- erendums that were short of quorum pushed the ratication back to June 15. Abreakdownofcommunicationbetweenthe currentbandcouncilandanappointedelection committee started when Blake led a letter of appealinanattempttobarhisopponentGrace Blake from entering the run for chief because she was not listed as a band member though she had held the position in the past. Blake submitted his letter to the existing election committee using band letterhead an action the committee deemed inappropriate. WhentheelectioncommitteerefutedBlakes appeal using previous case law and electoral guidelines as evidence to back up their deci- sion they said he became uncooperative. He pushed for an election to take place despite the fact the code had not yet been ratied. We came to a stalemate over the issue. We begantofeelquitestronglythateventhoughthe codewasdoingitsjobwedidntfeelascomfort- able being empowered with the right to enforce theselawsbecausetheyhadntyetbeenratiedand wewereputtingthecartbeforethehorseDrew said.Webasicallydecidedtodefertheelection. On June 2 Drew and the election commit- tee members announced they would be re- signing. According to Drew their intent was always to return to the committee once the code had been ratied. Upon the committees resignation the band took it upon themselves to appoint a new elec- tion committee composed solely of the bands nance director Cyril Clancy unbeknownst to those who had deferred. They also named Liz Gordonasthenewelectionofcer.OnJune12 thesenewofcialsacclaimedBlaketotheposi- tion of chief. I was totally unaware that all of this was happening so I can only assume how many moremembersareoutoftheloopLenniesaid. Myself along with all of my immediate fam- ily members that are registered voters did not even receive a voters package. I assumed that the elections were going to be postponed until August2015toallowtheraticationofthecus- tom elections code. Pushing forward for democracy The frustrated members have called upon both AANDC and the NWT government to aid with the election turnover to no avail. TheGwichyaGwichinFirstNationselectsits leadership under a custom community system custom code meaning the process is outside of the electoral provisions of the Indian Act reads a statement from AANDC. As such the department has no role to play as to how the communitys leadership is selected or how any disputes arising from an election or a ratica- tion vote are resolved. AttheendofthedayDrewsaidtheGGBmem- bers rallying against the band council want to exercise their democratic rights. The good news thats lost in all of this swirl ofcontroversyisthatthisisaveryhistoricmile- stone that the band has achieved Drew said. Forthersttimeintheirhistorytheyveactu- ally got a set of written laws that can ensure a higher level of integrity fairness and transpar- ency in future elections. The pinch right now is whether this is going to be honoured in light of the recent so-called acclamation of this chief and their councillors. PhotoLawrenceNorbert POLITICS FIRST NATIONS Gwichya Gwichin Band consultant and former election ofcer Graeme Drew. Mother Nature Annike Watts Aquabatics Aubrey-Smith Family Becky and Darren Linaker Ben Linaker Blyth and Bathe Inc. Bronwyn Rutherford-Simon Chris Bird and family Chris DeWolf Chuck Blyth Cochise Paulette Cole Conor Josh Denise Yuhas and her gang running Street Treats Fort Smith Construction NT Ltd. Gaelle St-Louis Gail Steed Glen Freund and Brenda Johnson GNWT ENR GNWT ITI Gord Rothney Highlander Contracting Janie Hobart Jared Tam Jason Helen and Jordan Panter Jeri Miltenberger Joey Roy and Rene Rodgers John Blyth Jonathan Teuchert Kaesers Stores Karl Cox and Family Keith Hartery Kevin and Rita Antoniak Larry Penner Laurie Young and Rusty Raven Leif and Natalie Anderson Lisa Mitchell Lucy and Nuvvija Tulugaruk Lynn Buckley Marylan Yanik Matthew Bird Meagan Wohlberg Mel Morse Newely Utley and NU Mechanical Northern Life Museum Staff Northwestern Air Lease Paul Bannister Pete and Daisy Starr Pilar Roqueni RCMP Cpl. Paddock RCMP Cst. Sanderson Rick James Robyn Brown Roger Rawlyk Kellys Sandra and Don Jaque Sandra Robichaud Saskia Van Mourik Smiths Landing First Nation Sonia Trudeau at Fields TDC Terrance Campbell and Loren Hudson Tides Canada Toni and Peanut Heron at Queen Elizabeth Campground Town of Fort Smith Tracey Hutton and family WBNP staff Everyone else who stepped up and helped out in one way or another. A special thanks to the core group of the FSPC paddlers for their amazing dedication to Paddlefest. Carrying equipment guiding rafts cleaning trails teaching beginners feeding people being so friendly and welcoming to our visitors Without your help we could never pull this off uncommon solutions for the common good PLATINUM SPONSORS GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS Pelican Inn TDC Wallys Rusty Raven Berros Pizza Bending Branches Seals Freunds Chris DeWolf World Kayak Aurora Guest House Street Treats Blyth and Bathe Inc. Fort Smith Construction NT Ltd. Highlander Contracting Paddle Performance NWT Tourism Lisa Mitchell BRONZE SPONSORS ENR Fields Fort Smith Liquor Store Sun Dog North Inc. Overlander Sports Kellys Whispering Pines NU Mechanical