I have spent the majority of my professional career working with BC First Nation organizations and governments – over 20 years now – always with a passion and purpose of contributing to the growth, success and wealth of my people, and First Nation peoples in general. I am an Indian and member of the We Wai Kai First Nation (more commonly know as the Cape Mudge Indian Band) on Vancouver Island, BC. One of my singular passions and focuses throughout my career has been working with Indian communities to execute and deliver their Band election processes. I am happy to report that I have conducted dozens of elections and not a single one has been formerly appealed!
My motivation for creating this Election Manifesto eBook were the real life events and experiences of conducting First Nation elections over the past 12+ years. It has always struck me how often the same sentiments, some might call them complaints, emerge through the election processes of Nations regardless of the type of election: custom codes, treaty regulations or acts, or Indian and Northern Affairs (INAC) election regulations. Those sentiments or complaints, in my view, have always been rooted in 3 core election elements that could be corrected:
- An election processes that is typically far to brief and compacted.
- A minimalistic or more often absent communication strategy or plan.
- The selection of the Chief Electoral Officer.
Even early on in my career conducting First Nation elections these sentiments of distrust, confusion, lack of transparency and anxiety affecting communities during these critical and important governance events troubled me. In addition, its seemed evident to me that the people being appointed as Chief Electoral Officers were not always best qualified for this important task. There were, now in the distant past, election training sessions being conducted by INAC for Nations wanting to train their own personnel to conduct elections, but with no entry or prerequisite experience required – the resulting capacity was not optimal.
Then as more and more Nations moved to more complex Custom Codes (and First Nations demanded more control and responsibility in their own governance and self-determining processes), and the understanding of appointing Election Officials free from potential conflict of interest took hold, less and less First Nation’s chose to appoint within their own ranks. The last of these INAC training sessions in BC were around 2005, with the final straw likely the elimination of INAC (government) funding for these training sessions.
Around this time, myself and Fred Schiffner spearheaded the creation of the First Nations Electoral Officers Association (FNEOA) – a western Canada association of professional Electoral Officers. The idea behind the association was to create an organization focused and dedicated to providing training and capacity building of election officials, develop supports and resources to First Nations, and build a network of qualified and credentialed Election Officials for First Nations to recruit from. I served as Chair of the FNEOA for nearly 3 years, but sadly 2 years later the organization languished under reduced INAC funding and eventually ceased to exist.
FNEOA MISSION STATEMENT The First Nations Electoral Officers Association is a self-regulating, non-political, incorporated, not for profit society established to promote professionally conducted First Nation Band elections. (2005)
It’s my hope that some of the objectives and considerations developed for the FNEOA can take some root here in this Elections Manifesto eBook and be shared with First Nations communities and governments. It’s not my intent to be overly critical of past practices or stress unrealistic expectations for your Nations future elections. On the contrary, this eBook has been created with a view to providing a resource and tool that confirms best practices and pathways to successful and stress-anxiety-free elections.
There are three basic tenets of my Elections Manifesto that I believe are central to assisting your Nation have better elections:
- Appoint a well qualified Chief Electoral Officer at least one year in advance of the election date.
- Develop a clear and modern communications strategy or plan to engage your First Nation.
- Use this new approach to Nation build and strengthen your First Nation community.
I will keep the observations brief and concise, and attempt to look at each challenge as an opportunity, and every opportunity one to be exploited for the enhancement of the election processes. I have conducted dozens of elections for Chief & Councils and variety of other offices from Custom Codes, Treaty Acts and Legislation, and the dreaded Indian Act – and in my experience all have something to learn and just as important something to share.
Please feel free to share this eBook with whomever you choose, and print or reproduce any part or portion you want. I can think of no greater honor than for you to share my work with other people, and please do not hesitate to contact me directly with your comments and feedback – I would like to hear from you!
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Lawrence Lewis
“When you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.” – Walt Disney
About Lawrence Lewis
I do a number of things professionally...but most of all and the true purpose of what I do through "my work" is to provide for my family, be a good husband and great father, and try to make a difference as a world citizen...I guess it's not much more complicated than that 🙂