The Tahltan Band is in the process of creating a Custom Election Code, which will allow the band to set out its own procedures for electing its government. This will encourage transparency and accountability, and let the band break away from the limitations set out in section 74 of theIndian Act.
In May 2011, Chief and Council retained Callison and Hanna, Barristers and Solicitors to assist with the drafting of the Tahltan Band’s Custom Election Code. A draft code questionnaire was mailed to members of the nation, and responses were returned before the end of the year. In December 2011, Callison and Hanna reported back to the Chief and Council about the results of the questionnaire. They then drafted a Custom Election Code based on the response.
In January 2012, Cynthia Callison and Adam Munnings from Callison and Hanna attended a community meeting in Telegraph Creek to discuss the draft. In March 2012, the code was revised and sent to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (AANDC) for review. Once provisional approval is received from AANDC, the community can ratify the code.
Updates to the code and information about community consultations and ratification will be posted on the website. Please check back frequently to ensure you remain up-to-date, and feel free to submit any comments or questions you may have.