Chris Hunsley
Northern News Services

Arctic Red River (July 11/05) - The exclusion of non-status residents from June's Gwichya Gwich'in band council and chief elections has left some Metis residents angry.

However, Canadian and aboriginal governments said the situation developed solely by their own actions.

"Approximately six people were unable to vote, but it's not because anybody was discriminating against them," said Scott Carle, SAO.

Since the Metis made their land claim, they have not been recognized as treaty band members and therefore were removed from band lists of eligible voters by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, which maintains the status indian registry.

Metis receive their own funding and hold separate meetings.

This was the first year DIAND removed their names from the list, said Carle, but the decision to be identified as Metis is theirs.

Under Bill C-31, which came into effect in 1995, Metis can reclaim their status if they choose.

Carle explained Metis residents were informed they could contact DIAND through the band office if they had concerns about the issue.

Problem with mayor

Only one couple accepted the offer and he did not receive any complaints.

"I'm a member of this community, born and raised and now all of a sudden I can't vote," said resident Mavis Clark, who was upset when she reached the polling station June 13 to be told she wouldn't vote for chief.

Metis were allowed to vote for the charter community council which can enact bylaws.

"That's really stupid," said Clark, explaining that the chief is proclaimed mayor of the charter community, so she could vote for council but not the mayor.

Custom election

"Whether or not we're Metis, we still come from the Gwich'in side of people."

George Cleary, director of Indian and Inuit services for DIAND, said if Clark and other Metis voted in past elections it's because the community choose to include them.

Communities can use what are known as custom elections and have the option to include whomever they wish, he said.

The issue of who can vote in band elections is not new, said Cleary, who explained that while he was chief in Deline during the late 1980s, he had to tell his niece, a Tulita band member, that she couldn't vote unless she registered on the Deline band.

Inuvialuit residents, also non-status, would not vote in chief and council elections.

"Predominantly, all bands just have people on band lists vote."