Members of Six Nations, most populous reserve in Canada, vote for new elected chief

Polls openSaturday morning in Six Nations of the Grand River, where members can vote forelected chief and council, but Sherlene Bomberry has no plans to cast a ballot.

The Cayuga woman and Wolf Clan memberhas never voted.

"I go to the longhouse the ceremonies are my guides," Bomberry,who is also a residential school survivor, toldCBC Hamilton on Thursday.

That's a reference to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC), the traditional leaders of the Haudenosaunee people, who many see as therepresentatives of the community.

They're separate from the elected council, also called the band council, a governance system created under the Indian Act and imposed by thefederal government.

Elected chief Mark Hill stepping down

Voter turnout in the 2019 election was low, with 1,716 ballots cast for chief (that doesn't include spoiled ballots), orroughly seven per cent of the community.

There are over 25,000 band members in Six Nations, nearly all of them eligible voters according to the Six Nations elected council,and over 12,000 live in the community about 40 kilometres south of Hamilton making Six Nations themost populousFirst Nationsreserve in Canada.

Its territory includes the Haldimand Tract, an area of land around the Grand River granted to Six Nationsin 1784.Today, 38 municipalities in southern Ontario sit on lost Six Nations lands.

While it's unclear how many people will vote this year, the 2023election is especially consequential members will get to vote for a new chief and 12 councillors, three more than last election in 2019.

Mark Hill, 33, announced on Sept. 23 he wouldn't run for a second term as chief of the elected council.He's been on the council since he was 19 and was elected as chief in 2019 with 700 votes.

Most of his time a chief took place during the pandemic, where he and the elected council responded toCOVID-19 in the community.

Hill could not be reached for comment.

2 running to be nextelected chief

There are two candidates running to be the next electedchief, according to Dorothy Patterson, the chief electoral polling officer who was appointed just a month before the election.

Sherri-Lyn Hill is a current councillor and is a certified First Nations addictions counsellor with Native Wind Consulting.

Steve Williams is a former elected chief, former chief electoral polling officer and chair of the Six Nations Police Commission. Williams is also president of the Grand River Enterprises cigarette company.

The next electedchief will work alongside 12 councillors.Patterson said there are 13 people running for those 12 spots. That means all but one councillor candidate will be elected.

During a debate hosted by Turtle Island News and CKRZ 100.3 FM last week, Hill and Williams made their case for why they should be chief of the elected council.

Hill said her topcommunity issuesare mental health and addictions, housing, language and culture, and economic sustainability.

She said the solutions to those issues include:

• 24/7 mental health and addictions services, along with more safe beds and community outreach.
• Fixing housing policies to be less colonial, more tiny homes and emergency housing options.
• All ages should learn Indigenous language and culture and there needs to be space for artifacts returned to the community.
• Economic sustainability through a casino, a large egg farm or federal grants.
• "Our people are dying. We really need to do programs to start saving lives," she said.

Williams said his top community issues are finances, quality of life for seniors, housing, education, roads and water.

He said solutions to those issues include:

• Re-evaluating the community's financial situation.
• Making seniors a priority.
• Having Six Nations apply for federal funding for housing issues.
• Improve funding to schools and having more Indigenous teachers.
• Charge trucks for driving through the territory and expanding the water system.

Why somepeople are voting

While voter turnout in 2019 was low, for some residents, it's important.

Valerie Martin, 65, said in the past, women didn't have the right to vote.Neither did Indigenous people.

"As a Native woman, it's my right and duty to vote," the Upper Mohawk, Turtle Clan woman told CBC Hamilton earlier this week.

WATCH: Why Valerie Martin is voting in this election

Why Valerie Martin is voting in this election

12 months ago

Duration 0:14

Valerie Martin, 65, explains the importance of voting for Six Nations of the Grand River elected council.

She said she wants to see the elected council act on their plans. She alsowants to see improved road safety, like better lane markers and better street lighting.

"A lot of people older than me don't like to drive at night they don't feel safe," Martin said.

While Bomberry isn't voting, she said she'd like to see the community tackle the opioid crisis.

Martin said she also hopes the elected council and HCCC can work side by side."I know there's a lot of tension between elected council and longhouse I do wish they could come together, for all of us," she said.

"That's a lot of what people are looking for, for the two to come together."

Where and how people can vote

The election is on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There's no online voting this year.The only place to vote is at the community hall on 4th Line.

Voters must be 18 or older.Any registered member of Six Nations can vote, even if they don't live on the reserve.