First Nation settles election dispute

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An agreement has been reached between the two sides in a custom election dispute on Manitoulin Island.

In February, the M'Chigeeng First Nation and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) worked out their differences paving the way for further self-government talks.

Chief Glen Hare said he was relieved that the process was finally over. Many community projects had been denied funding while the dispute dragged on. "Our approach now becomes to advance the community," he said. "Now the work begins to implement what we agreed upon."

Since September 2001, INAC had resisted accepting the band's custom election code, claiming the code violated the Supreme Court's Corbiere decision of May 1999. The government wanted a mail-in voting system. M'Chigeeng argued that their members must travel home to vote.

A federal mediator travelled to M'Chigeeng to bring the parties together. The meetings broke up Jan. 30 with no resolution.

In mid-February, however, a compromise was reached. Under the agreement, members living off-reserve will have to register in M'Chigeeng in order to receive a ballot. "We want to know who is voting for the leadership in our community," Hare said.

The band still has to develop procedures for registration, he added. "But I'm satisfied with the outcome; so let's move on."

The next step is to engage in bilateral talks leading to self-governance. "We are ready for it," he said. "We want to chart our own way."