Lac Des Milles Lacs First Nation election results under review

Kathleen Sawdo is challenging the Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation election results, but is uncertain whether she would run for chief again if a new election is called.

Aboriginal Affairs investigates reports of Indian status cards printed in Thunder Bay hotel room

By Jody Porter, CBC News, June 24, 2015

Aboriginal Affairs is reviewing a complaint that Indian status cards were being issued out of a Thunder Bay, Ont. hotel room as part of a scheme to re-elect the incumbent chief at Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation.

The election took place on June 8, returning Judy Maunula to office. Her challenger, Kathleen Sawdo, is appealing the results under the First Nation’s custom election code.

The electoral officer wrongly told Lac Des Mille Lacs citizens they needed a valid status card to vote and the cards were issued in secret hotel room meetings with voters supportive of Maunula, Sawdo alleges.

“Had it been done out of band office, open to the entire population, I’m sure it would have been fine,” Sawdo said of the effort to issue new status cards to members. “But the fact is, I’ve never, ever heard of status cards being issued out of a hotel room, in secret.”

‘She looked me in the eye and told me not to say anything’

A sworn statement from Lac Des Mille Lacs citizen Margaret Peters forms part of Sawdo’s formal request for an appeal of the election.

In the statement, Peters said she was taken by her mother to a room at the the Valhalla Inn on May 30, where she and several other band members received new status cards from an employee of Bimose Tribal Council.

“She [the Bimose employee] looked me in the eyes and told me not to say anything about what took place in the hotel room, as it was not legal and she was only doing this as a favour to my chief, Judy Maunula,” Peters said in her statement.

A spokesperson for Aboriginal Affairs said it takes “allegations of improper distribution of status cards very seriously” and if fraud or misconduct is found, the information is turned over to police.

CBC News left telephone and email messages at the First Nation administration office requesting an interview with Maunula, but has not heard back.

Spoiled ballots

Maunala garnered 151 votes, with Sawdo, her only challenger receiving 107. There were 19 spoiled ballots.

Sawdo questions the number of spoiled ballots and also feels the requirement of having a valid status card likely discouraged her supporters from even attempting to vote. It can take months to renew a status card through regular channels.

But Sawdo said if she is successful in her request for an appeal of the election results, she may not run again. She hopes a fair election process would draw more candidates.

People from Lac Des Mille Lacs were flooded off their traditional lands many years ago and most scattered across the continent, creating challenges for community building, Sawdo said.

“So many people want to be involved, we’ve been disbursed so long and now we’re trying to come together as a community and when this barrier to voting, to participating is held up it’s not conducive to bringing the community together,” Sawdo said. “Regardless of how they vote, they should be able to vote and participate.”

The experience is also a cautionary tale for other First Nations considering creating their own election code, rather than using the Aboriginal Affairs template, Sawdo said.

“I would recommend if other First Nations plan on doing this, ensure that it is done fairly,” she said. “When it’s designed in such a way that a chief and council can stay in forever, that defeats the purpose of having elections.”

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/lac-des-milles-lacs-first-nation-election-results-under-review-1.3124765