Indian Affairs confronted by Algonquins of Barriere Lake

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) elections official, Bob Norton refuses to answer community members about mail-in nominations which were used later that week to install a chief and council by acclamation. No nomination meeting. No voting.

After being denied entry to the reserve at Rapid Lake earlier in the month, he arrived early in the morning this day, hours before the community was told they would arrive, and held a nomination meeting. When people from the community arrived, with the specific families whose territory they'd come to (who were not consulted about their visit), they immediately packed up and left, claiming everything was void. It would be only hours until the community learned of the scale at which they were being mislead.

INAC is using Section 74 of the Indian Act, which enables the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs to remove a traditional government and institute a one-person, one-vote ballot system in which people who do not reside on the territory can nominate and vote. This law was last used to violently oust the traditional governments of Six Nations and Akwesasne in Ontario in the 1920s. The acclaimed chief and council do not reside on the territory, and even the acclaimed chief has recently stepped down rather than breaking ranks with the elders and the community. There are fears that the government and the logging industry will negotiate behind the community's back with this minuscule non-resident Indian Act council.

The Algonquins of Barriere lake reject the electoral system of choosing leaders. According to their traditions, a group of elders nominates eligible candidates who are selected in a directly democratic consensus-based process. The community is united in their support for their traditional system of leadership selection.

www.barrierelakesolidarity.org

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[salmonfire]

The Indian Act is clear on this, in many sections, only band councils that are elected by their regulations, with an election using secret ballots and the winner getting the majority of the votes will be allowed to stand and govern. it is forbidden under the indian act to allow customary elections which have the elders or matriarchal clans placing anyone in power, this is the problem that we need to attack.

[isaachill87]

I Hate INAC