The Moose Cree First Nation has changed its election rules to allow any band member living on or off-reserve to run for Chief or Council.
“What resulted is four years of hard work to incorporate our own ways of electing leadership, something different from the Indian Act process,” said Chief Ernest Beck.
The changes allow the entire membership in the Moose Cree Territory to participate in the election process.
“In the past, Indian Affairs created the stigma that off-reserve people were not Indian. We want them to be involved because we have people off-reserve with degrees and education, and we want these band members to make a contribution to the band,” he added.
Currently, 65 per cent of Moose Cree band members live on-reserve and the rest are scattered through the off-reserve section of Moose Factory and Moosonee.
Although anyone can vote in band elections, the only condition is that anyone running for Chief will have to relocate on Moose Factory Island if elected.
Other changes include the election of Elder and youth representatives on the Band Council. Also, from now on the Chief and Deputy Chief will be elected together on the same ballot Before, they were elected separately and problems arose when they had to work together with separate agendas.
