Tonight is nominations for the Chief and Council election in Mount Currie. Elections are held in early March every two years and they are governed by the Indian Act. The Indian Act is an archaic law that was enacted in 1876. Nominations themselves are a pretty dry affair. At the nomination meeting there are no speeches or campaigning allowed. The nomination meeting and the entire election is overseen by an Electoral Officer – in this case Fred Schiffner – who has a reputation for being very competent, rules-orientated, and firm when it comes to running a fair and transparent election. Basically tonight there will be a three-hour meeting where people are publically “nominated” and “seconded” to run. The candidate then has to consent to allowing their name to stand on the ballot. In Mount Currie it is a sign of respect and an acknowledgement of good character to be nominated. It does not necessarily mean that the person nominated knew in advance they were going to be nominated, that they have any intention of seeking public office, or of letting their name stand on the ballot. The practice often leads to a very large number of candidates running for the 12 Councilor positions and 1 Chief position. The actual number of positions elected is mandated by the Indian Act. Interestingly, the Indian Act has a few quirks (among many darker characteristics) that make elections differ from other elections in Canada. For example, the Indian Act allows a person to run for both the Chief’s position and a Councilor position at the same time. In fact, the candidate can win and hold both positions at the same time! (This was a long-standing practice at Musqueam for many years.) The Indian Act also allows ANYONE to run for Chief. You do not need to be a resident of the reserve or even a resident of BC. You do not need to be a Mount Currie Band Member to run for Chief. You do not even need to be an Indian to run for Chief. So hypothetically someone like Mayor Jordan Sturdy could be nominated; campaign; and, hold the position of Chief of the Lil’wat Nation. Having said that, the electorate in Mount Currie has never gone that route! Nonetheless it is one more reason to watch the outcome of tonight’s nomination meeting. More on why the Chief and Council election matters to everyone in the region in a future post.