Pasqua Band Members Challenge Chief & Council in Court

Hello,

My name is Lisa , I am representing a large group of Pasqua First Nation band members, a reserve in Southern Saskatchewan. We recently had our election on March 3rd, 2025. It is unfortunate to have to write, but we have evidence that our election process was heavily manipulated by current Chief & Council and staff, to the point of it being unethical and possible collusion with the Electoral Officer who oversaw the process. Potentially even "rigging" the process to re-elect the exact same Chief & Council for 4 more years.

We fall under the First Nations Election Act in Canada, and with this come a very strict set of rules that need to legally be followed just like any federal or provincial election. Throughout the election process we have multiple counts of the Act & Regulations not being followed, and clear violations by not only Chief & Council, but the Electoral Officer too.

We gathered enough crucial evidence and together were able to raise enough money in a short time frame to hire a lawyer and get the appeal for election filed within the 30-day cut off period. The lawyer on our case found even more violations of the First Nations Election Act and feels confident about our case in court. However, court costs aren’t cheap and together we can only continue to raise so much.

We are tired of being taken advantage of by our own non-accountable and non transparent leadership, like many First Nations are facing today. We as band members must take a stand and hold them accountable. That’s why to continue this fight in court in seeking a fair and transparent election for ALL membership of Pasqua First Nation, both on and off reserve, we are asking for your help/support.

Your donation will help us cover our legal costs as we continue this fight for justice and fair elections within First Nations communities. We aren’t the only First Nation dealing with corruption, we won’t be the last, but we want to be the change in our communities and help lead the way!

Miigwetch (Thank you!)