Roseau River chooses Nelson again as chief

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This article was published 27/05/2009 (6000 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — Terry Nelson has again been re-elected chief of Manitoba’s Roseau River First Nation.

In a general election held last Friday, band members elected Nelson chief with 44 per cent of the votes cast, according to band officials.

Seven candidates were in the running and 367 votes were cast in total during the election for chief.

The general vote ended a stalemate that began in March after both incumbent chief Nelson and Felix Antoine declared victory in separate elections for chief of the southern Manitoba First Nation.

The competing votes stemmed from a dispute over the role of a traditional custom council at Roseau River. Antoine claimed support of the traditional system, a system Nelson said lacks credibility.

He said general elections should be used to determine the First Nations chief.

Both Antoine and Nelson met with Indian and Northern Affairs officials in March, but no resolution was reached then.

Antoine finished fifth in the most recent election, receiving 5.7 per cent of votes.

Nelson has been elected chief of Roseau River four times, not including the March election.

– Canadian Press