The caucus held here in Akwesasne was a joke, and I was dumbfounded with the idea of holding a caucus when the required amount of election board members was not met. If they did not follow their own set of standards with the election board, does this then mean the eligibility requirements can go out the window as well for the eligibility for nominees? The requirement states by their own admission that a minimum of three members make up the election board.

They have only two members and held an official caucus to nominate positions for chief, sub-chief and tribal clerk. Can you believe how suspicious this is? Tribal Chief Jim Ransom tried to defend this by saying one could be absent. How can someone be absent when that someone does not exist? A quorum was OK'd because two election board members were present, nominating individuals that are not residing on the territory or even what was once known as the land claim area. The Tribal Council made changes to the nomination eligibilities a week or two prior to the caucus without notifying the voting members of these changes.

I guess you thought that your government systems were bad. Take a look at this one.

Agnes Terrance

Hogansburg