Defenders of the Land is a network of Indigenous Communities united in defense of our lands, Indigenous rights, and Mother Earth. more »
MONTREAL - The Department of Indian Affairs has announced that a new Chief and Council have been elected by acclamation in Barriere Lake, sparking outrage among First Nations leaders who say the process was undemocratic and did not respect their traditional selection process.
The newly-elected Chief, Casey Ratt, has said he will not accept the position, and several community members issued strong statements on Tuesday denouncing the band elections organized by the federal government. Under Section 74 of the Indian Act, the federal minister of Indian Affairs has the power to force an election on a reserve if he feels it is "advisable for the good government of a band." Such a step has only been taken three times in Canada. Community representatives in Barriere Lake claim that six to 10 mail-in ballots were received by government electoral officers, but that a win by acclamation was announced anyway.
"The government has lectured us about democracy. But how can this be democratic if it goes against the will of our entire community?" said community spokesperson Tony Wawatie in a release. "This looks more like tyranny."
Continue reading here.