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Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation members are heading to the ballot box on Saturday to elect a new chief and council.
Pikwakanagan is about 150 kilometres west of Ottawa on Golden Lake. Current Chief Greg Sarazin narrowly beat his predecessor Wendy Jocko by 13 votes in 2023.
Alongside Sarazin and Jocko, this year’s candidates include two fresh faces hoping to lead the First Nation.
Round 3 for Jocko and Sarazin
Sarazin is hoping to be elected chief for a third time, having also served from 1987 to 1989. He was also the chief negotiator for the Algonquin land claim from 1991 to 2001.
Chief Greg Sarazin is looking for his third election win, having previously led the First Nation from 1987 to 1989, and from 2023 to present. (Nicole Williams/CBC)
Final negotiations for that land claim were a key focus in the last election, after an agreement-in-principle was signed in 2016.
“We have reorganized the treaty negotiations in a way that addresses the interests and the concerns of our membership,” Sarazin said, adding that treaty negotiations have restarted.
Sarazin also points to key economic development projects done under his leadership, including investing in the Skyview 2 battery energy storage system.
Sarazan says the declaration of a state of emergency amid Pikwakanagan’s opioid crisis has saved lives. He said his council has budgeted toward treatment services for Pikwakanagan members.
Wendy Jocko is looking to regain her seat as chief, having lost it in the last election to Greg Sarazin. Jocko served as the third female chief of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan between 2020 and 2023. (Submitted by Wendy Jocko)
After defeating Sarazin in 2020, Jocko became the third female chief of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan.
She says the community’s housing crisis is central to her platform, including its trickle-down effects on mental health and childhood learning.
Jocko said she also wants a cultural building constructed in Pikwakanagan.
If elected, she said her council would also crack down on illegal drug distribution and resume beautification efforts, including the maintenance of administrative buildings.
“I would also like to further support [the federal government’s] Bill S-2, which is the second-generation cut-off, and obviously getting our land claim back on track,” Jocko said.
New election, new candidates
Rounding out the leadership race are new candidates Leah Lavalley and Jennifer Meness.
Lavalley is currently manager of Pikwakanagan’s limited partnership and economic development office. According to her campaign platform she is committed to transparency, accountability and “an open-door leadership policy.”
She’s also campaigning to enhance economic development benefiting Pikwakanagan, while also protecting the First Nation’s resources and the environment.
Lavalley wasn’t unavailable for an interview due to an illness.
Meness currently works as an Indigenous studies professor at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Jennifer Meness, an Indigenous studies professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, says she’s hoping to revitalize Algonquin language and culture in Pikwakanagan. (Submitted by Jennifer Meness)
She says she’d look to address Pikwakanagan’s opioid crisis through a community-guided approach.
“Studies show that when people are more connected to their language and culture, that increases well-being,” Meness said. “So my main push is a restoration of culture and language in a way that will restore our worldview and restore pride in our community.”
Other key platform points for Meness include establishing engagement initiatives for off-reserve members through family reconnection, tax-free employment networking and enhancing education funding.
Alongside those running for chief, this year’s election also includes 15 Pikwakanagan members vying for six council positions.
In-person voting will take place at the Makwa Centre on March 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The newly elected chief and council will be sworn in April 1.