KITSELAS, B.C. – The Kitselas First Nation has officially welcomed its new leadership after votes were counted in the Nation’s June 12 election. The event marks a historic moment, as it is one of the last times the Kitselas government will be formed under the rules of Canada’s Indian Act.
The election saw the incumbent Chief Councillor returned to his position for a third consecutive term, winning by a decisive margin.
Twenty-two candidates ran for the seven available council seats. The new council will be composed of five returning incumbents and two new councillors. The top-polling candidate received 169 votes.
The newly elected Chief and Council were officially welcomed at a community event on June 16.
This election is particularly significant for the Kitselas Nation. It was the 61st council election held under the Indian Act since the first was held on June 12, 1904. However, with Kitselas members having overwhelmingly approved a treaty with the provincial and federal governments this spring, the Nation is now on a four-year path to implementing its own constitution.
Once the treaty and constitution are in effect, future elections will be held under the Nation’s own laws, marking a major step in self-governance and a move away from the Indian Act system.
The recent election also marks the conclusion of a remarkable 26-year career in elected office for one long-serving councillor, who chose not to run again after decades of service as both a councillor and an assistant treaty negotiator.
