Tawpisin Wins Muskeg Lake Chief Election

Tawpisin Wins Muskeg Lake Chief Election

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 13:26

A First Nation that has seen plenty of political turmoil in recent years apparently has a new chief.

According to unofficial numbers, Cliff Tawpisin, Jr. defeated incumbent Gilbert Ledoux in the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation band election by a vote count of 262 to 242.

Tawpisin is a former band councillor who has been involved in a very public spat with the band administration.

He was one of about a dozen band members who stormed a band council meeting in Saskatoon last September, wanting information about the band’s finances and economic development plans.

Band officials eventually summoned the police.

Tawpisin was also once suspended from his duties as a band councillor by Ledoux, but was eventually reinstated.

The new band council includes Harry Lafond, Dolores Greyeyes-Sand, Albert Dean Lafond, Josephine Longneck, Les Arcand, and Orrin Greyeyes.