ISSN#1204-1645 Okarahshona kenh Onkwehonwene, Six Nations of the Grand WEDNESDAY, TSIOTÓRHA / DECEMBER 18, 2019 Price $1.25 (plus taxes where applicable) www.theturtleislandnews.com SNEC seeking $200,000 from farmer after promising to look at removing injunctions against Six Nations People... page 31 CONTENTS Local ...........................................2 Editoral........................................6 Sports..........................................9 Classified....................................35 Notices.......................................35 Jamieson Kindergarten students belt out a Careers.......................................38 Business Directory......................39 Christmas tune during their annual Christmas Price $1.25 concert. Photo by Donna Duric. (plus taxes where applicable) I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I TSIOTÓRHA / DECEMBER 18, 2019 I PAGE 2 I I LOCAL / ORÌ:WASE NE KÈN:THOR I www.theturtleislandnews.com Advertising deadline is 5 pm Fridays Phone: 445-0868 • Fax: 445-0865 LOCAL aboriginalbusinessmagazine.com [email protected] Six Nations Election hangs in the balance council reviewing concerns By Justin Lethbridge ensure that they are within return the information. place and everything that Writer their legal grounds before But Jamieson told him, binds those....Because of Six Nations Elected Coun- they make any decisions “You were supposed to do a what we’re learning as we cil (SNEC) is taking another on the election or the Chief report.” Jamieson said, “so go through and reviewing week to look at concerns Electoral Polling Officer. that the community would this is that we need to dig raised over the recent elec- “We are the beneficiaries be informed about our in- a little bit deeper.” tion, two appeals and the of that process, so keeping formation that was used by Local resident Alaina fate of the Chief Election those lines separate, that’s OneFeather.” VanEvery told council the Polling Officer ((CEPO)). what we’re talking about in “We are doing a report,” CEPO had to verify with The council chambers terms of the legalities and Chief Hill interrupted, “We Council that he was using were packed with commu- those parameters. Not de- are doing a report on the online voting. “Who is re- nity members last Tuesday bating what you’re saying questions Brenda (Johnson) sponsible here and where Six Nations community members packed the elected as Alaina VanEvery told but figuring out how do we submitted.” is the resolution. Helen council meeting last Tuesday. (Photo by Justin Leth- council her appeal had been process through it, making “Then you should be able (Miller) said that she didn’t bridge) rejected but she had con- sure that there is account- to answer me,” Jamieson know anything about on- cerns with the legitimacy of ability.” said, with Elected Chief line voting and neither did portant. council because there’s a the election and the CEPO. Johnson said that while Mark Hill answering “I just Carl (Hill).” “To me it’s a non-issue lot of history that has to be SNEC said they needed they did come up with a did.” Jamieson continued Councillor Helen Miller because we want to deal looked into. The first duty more time to look at the report based off of the con- pressing for answers saying said that Director of Lands with each other as human of this group would be to complex issue. cerns brought to them by that there had to be a con- and Membership Lonny beings here, as sovereign be a fact finding group, look Councillor Wendelyn local resident Brenda John- tract with OneFeather that Bomberry suggested to people and a lot of people into what actually hap- Johnson said Council is not son, it was not complete made provisions to return council to use online voting have the same understand- pened.” debating the merits of the and they needed more time the data after the citizen- after contracting OneFeath- ing that there’s a concern Others called for the in- concerns brought forth by to ensure it was done prop- ship code. er to run the Citizenship here. We see the concern, stallation of an Ombuds- multiple community mem- erly. Despite the council’s “It appeared the data was referendum online. who it is and made legit- man or other third-party bers. desire for more time, com- not returned, else wise how “The suggestion is that we imate rationale that has to look into the concerns “At the end of the day the munity members wanted did they (OneFeather) man- can look into online voting been dismissed, marginal- including the actions of the accountability lies here, answers especially regard- age to use it for this last for this election and that ized and disregarded and CEPO and how online vot- with this system. We’re ing the release of member- election. Wendy I believe was the last we heard of it. disrespected. Further what ing was handled. having big discussions ship information to a B.C. you spoke to that and said Then come election time, we’re asking for is let’s put Brenda Johnson said that about that and what that company, OneFeather, who that would be in the report we were told OneFeather our minds together as one she wants Council to re- means in terms of legal ran the online voting. tonight...It’s not proper for was going to do online vot- mind.” solve the issues without ramifications and so on...” Former candidate for chief you to call upon Steve, you ing, before that we didn’t While council deferred the the use of outside measures She said the newly elect- Cynthia Jamieson said her (Chief Mark Hill) undertook know much about it... discussion until December like the courts. ed council has found itself concern is that OneFeath- on behalf of the council, Frankly speaking I can see 16th, several options to “I’m asking you to do having to deal with the er still has the membership to have a report for us to- your concern, and I know remedy the situation were what’s right for the people ramifications of a decision information. night.” Cynthia’s question, we suggested. Former Election in the community, show us made by the council before “We were told in the last Chief Mark Hill said the don’t know what happened Code Committee member that we do have democracy. it. meeting that this contract, report only addresses con- to the membership list from Claudine VanEvery-Albert We were left to one person “The situation that we’re I think it was Dayle (for- cerns raised by Brenda the Citizenship Code to the said early in the commit- deciding everything and the in is that the 57th Elected mer SAO Bomberry) sitting Johnson. Election.” tee’s discussions on the decisions that were made Council, and this is not to up there, you asked him to Councillor Johnson agreed Councillor Miller said new election the commit- were very rude, ignorant, pass on blame or actions or look into that contract and saying council needed addi- when Council was told by tee discussed turning the ridiculous...There was no anything, went to a process he said that he would. My tional time to do their due CEPO Williams that they process of the election over place else to go, we fol- whereby we went into an concern is that our infor- diligence. were going to use online to the community. lowed the process to a ‘T’ election and entered into mation is still out there.” “We have looked at those voting, there was no res- VanEvery-Albert sug- and there was no justice an agreement so that there CEPO Steve Williams said documents but in sum- olution passed. She added gested a fact finding group there, no democracy there was a separate process that because he was the one mary, we need more time she wasn’t sure if Lonny be activated to investigate and that’s why we’re here was supposed to be free of who had to pay OneFeath- because we are concerned Bomberry gave them the “what actually happened.” at your doorstep.” conflict because it has to be er, he was the one that had enough with what we have membership list or the vot- “ I would suggest to coun- The next and final General separate from the council of the contract with them. seen. Looking at it, exam- ers list. cil and to the people, that Council meeting of 2019 is the day.” Elected Chief Mark Hill ining it, we want to do a Brenda Johnson told there be a group of peo- scheduled for Tuesday De- She said that the 58th said that OneFeather was little bit more in terms of council the issues of liabil- ple from the community... cember 17th. General Council needs to bound by the contract to the agreements we have in ity and legality are not im- with strong input from the Six Nations Election votes a numbers game..fewer people voted The 58th General Election in total there was 2,065. He given by Williams is wrong. group made up. 91 per cent of the vote, and from 18-35, 340 voted. was heralded as having the said it was the most ever Following the election, “Ages between 18-32 was leaving voters aged 78 and We couldn’t keep track of highest voter turnout ever which was credited to the Williams was asked for a about 24 per cent, 33-47 up to account for 9 per which were men and which with a total of 2,065 votes inclusion of online voting breakdown of the demo- I think was about 22 per cent. were women and the on cast, but was that really the making it easier for off-re- graphics of voters sex, ages cent, 48-62 was 25 per Williams then gave a vote and off reserve was mixed number? serve members to cast their and location which he pro- cent, 63 to 77 was about count for only three age up.” After crunching the on- ballot.