Tsleil-Waututh Nation members have voted to return their chief and all five band council members to lead them for another term.
The First Nation of about 500 members on the North Shore held their election on Tuesday, seeing Chief Maureen Thomas win a narrow race and council members Charlene Aleck, Deanna George, Travis George, Liana Martin and Jen Thomas retain their seats.
Thomas netted 92 votes while the closest runner-up former Chief Leah George-Wilson earned 86. There were two other candidates running for chief and 16 members nominated for council.
The band’s council will have a very busy two years ahead, Thomas said, as the Nation has filed a lawsuit against the federal government arguing the assessment and review process for Kinder Morgan’s application to twin its pipeline to Burrard Inlet has illegally failed to consider First Nations’ rights and title and consultation.
“We’re trying to strive for long-term survival for our people in this area. If anything should happen there, this is our home. We have no place to go from that point on if there is a big disaster with this resource coming into our territory,” Thomas said.
Tsleil-Waututh Nation has also partnered with the Aquilinis for development on Burnaby’s Willingdon Lands, as well as a multi-family development on its Raven Woods land and potentially more single-family homes at the east end of the reserve.
The initiatives are aimed at “looking towards the future to ensure our future generations have a strong identity on the North Shore and so they can survive as community,” Thomas said.
“There’s just so much happening around us, we don’t want our community to get lost in the rapid growth of the whole of Canada,” she said.
Council will also work on building more partnerships with the City and District of North Vancouver, Thomas said.
In total, 199 members cast ballots, which is the highest number in recorded history. That’s something Thomas attributes to the young and growing population of the band becoming more engaged. Turnout for band meetings has also been increasing and the band’s management has been making an effort to increase transparency and accessibility for members, Thomas said.
“There was a really good turn out, which I think is fantastic because it shows the community was really interested in showing their support,” she said.
The results demonstrate that Tsleil-Waututh members have trust and faith in their leadership, she added.
“I don’t see the split in the votes as being for or against somebody. I see it as the community really wanting to participate and, no matter who got in. I think we’re at the stage where we have support no matter who is there. I think it’s all favourable.”
Under the Indian Act, Tsleil-Waututh Nation holds its band elections every two years.
