Three Challenges Made to Recent Tribal Election

Three challenges have been submitted to the recent secretarial election of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the local Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) office reported May 17. The voting rights of members living outside of the Upper Peninsula service area and the rights of descendants of the Mackinac Band could be at stake if the BIA rules that two voter-eligibility protests have merit, the tribe reported.

In the election, members of the tribe voted to amend their constitution to prohibit paid employees or contracted employees of the tribe from holding office on the tribal board. Members voted 5,310 to 883 in favor of the election, it was announced May 1.

All three challenges were submitted by tribal members. One protest, submitted by Mary Locke, challenged whether the 30% voter turnout requirement was met to make the election valid under federal regulations.

The other two challenges focused on the definition of eligible voters. In one of those challenges, entered jointly by William Bouschor and Betty Freiheit, the question was raised whether tribal members who are descendants of the Mackinac Band are allowed to vote. A February legal opinion had been publicly announced justifying their voter eligibility. The second voter-eligibility challenge, submitted by Secretarial Election board member Joanne Carr, questioned whether members residing outside the tribe's service area should have been allowed to vote to amend the constitution.

All three challenges have been sent to the regional BIA office, which has 45 days from the election date to rule on these issues. Results of the review will be announced when they become available, the tribe reported May 17.

Tribal members residing outside the service area and Mackinac Band descendants are currently eligible to vote in tribal elections. A recent population study shows 62.3%, or 21,111 tribal members live outside of the seven-county, Upper Peninsula service area. The tribe has more than 33,000 enrolled members.

One of the two board members currently in conflict with the new amendment has publicly accepted the results of the Secretarial Election. Unit III representative Fred Paquin of St. Ignace issued a public statement days after the election noting he respects the will of the voters. While currently serving as the tribe's chief of police, Mr. Paquin will be mandated by the constitutional amendment to resign his board seat or his job in 2008, as will secretary and board member Denise Chase of Manistique.