Letters: Protect the voting rights of First Nation band members – timminspress

Dec 05, 2025

‘Indigenous Services Canada should be publicly pressured to protect the voting rights of all band members,’ says Apitipi Anicinapek Nation member

I am a band member of Apitipi Anicinapek Nation (AAN), formerly known as Wahgoshig First Nation, about 42 km east of Matheson, Ontario. I am writing this today as a call out for help regarding our last chief and council elections that took place May 31.

For the past few months I have been requesting to file my election-related grievances to an appeal board only to learn it not been established. According to an election law that was passed about seven months before the last AAN chief and council elections, the Appeal Board Circle is supposed to be made up of an impartial group of members to protect the rights of membership to file election complaints. Sadly, the five letters I have sent to the AAN Chief and Council from May 5 to Dec. 2, 2025 have been completely ignored.

Read More: https://www.timminspress.com/opinion/letters-protect-the-voting-rights-of-first-nation-band-members