Meet the seven candidates in the race for chief of Eskasoni First Nation
Seven candidates are running for Chief of Eskasoni First Nation, the largest Mi'kmaq First Nations community in the world. Three women and four men are going door-to-door and hosting meet and greet events leading up to the May 26 election.
Seven candidates are running for Chief of Eskasoni First Nation, the largest Mi'kmaq First Nations Band in the world. Three women and four men are going door-to-door and hosting meet-and-greet events leading up to the May 26 election.
CHIEF LEROY DENNY
Leroy Denny was first elected chief in 2010. He garnered twice the votes of his nearest opponent in the last election in 2021 which was held up for ten months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During his last term – the first four-year term in the band's history – Denny concentrated on housing and employment and took on some contentious work around the ongoing battle between First Nations and the federal government over fishing rights.
He is running based on his record over the last 15 years of serving the needs of the largest Mi'kmaq community in the world with 4,750 band members.
Last November, Denny was elected by the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs as its new co-chair to represent all the Unama'ki (Cape Breton) communities.
He also holds the chair positions for the boards of Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey (education initiative), Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselling Association, and the Health Partnership.
He is a graduate of Cape Breton University and a strong proponent of education in his community. He is an advocate for the Mi'kmaw language and supports youth endeavours in his community.
ALYSSIA JEDDORE
A mother of four daughters, Alyssia Jeddore holds three degrees: bachelor of science; bachelor of arts; and bachelor of education, and considers herself a lifelong learner. Other education includes a designation in Certified Aboriginal Professional Administration.
Her focus in this election is both uniting and empowering her community. Presently working as Eskasoni's Business Development Manager, Jeddore wants to: 'invest in education, healing, jobs and opportunities for all.'
Jeddore is calling for more transparency and accountable governance. She would like to ensure that meeting minutes are accessible to the public; local governance has an open door policy; and improved communications among band members and departments so that all – even those not on social media – can be kept informed.
Her platform stresses the importance of strengthening Eskasoni's future through education and developing skills and better opportunities in trades and professional development.
Jeddore wants to work to protect the Mi'kmaq language and cultural teachings. A major part of her platform calls for looking for economic and business opportunities that serve to promote self-determination with the hope of implementing Treaty Rights without outside interference.
TUMA CHRISTMAS
Thomas Stephen (Tuma) Christmas is running on a platform of more open transparency about the workings of the band council and chief. He is disappointed with what he sees as 'secrecy' within the administration and people working for themselves and not the community as a whole.
The signs supporting Christmas all have the slogan: 'For greater transparency and accountability' written underneath his name.
Christmas wants to strengthen property rights, and allocate more band funds towards home renovations and home building, education, health care, policing, and community infrastructure.
If elected, he says he will raise wages and provide financial support to people wanting to succeed.
At the same time, if elected, Christmas pledges to 'conduct an internal investigation into fraud in healthcare, pandemic spending, water/sewer investments, fisheries, RCMP and any other departments linked to the administration.'
DARLENE MARSHALL
For 38 years, Darlene Marshall worked for the Eskasoni Band Council and has worked alongside five chiefs. She recently retired and is running for the position of chief herself.
Marshall is a member of the First Nations Housing Professional Association.
'I have worked at the senior level of the administration within the Eskasoni Band, tirelessly advocating for families to ensure their needs are met with urgency and care. I gained a comprehensive understanding of our internal governance process, systems, operations, capacity and external governance processes. Most importantly, I learned the unique needs of our people and pursued a broad spectrum of relevant training and education to ensure I am equipped to meet the evolving needs of our community,' she said shortly after her nomination.
Marshall's approach to voters is that she has had the privilege of representing the Mi'kmaw Nation at the local, regional and national levels as an expert in housing and emergency management. She served on numerous committees providing strategic guidance to drive meaningful change, contributing to improvements in national policy, funding structures, and better Indigenous relations with the federal government.
INKIN NELSON YOUNG
Inkin Young is a prevention counsellor with the Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselling Association. He does not have a presence on social media and is hoping his knowledge of his community and knowledge of them will serve him well in the election.
JONATHAN LINDSAY PAUL
On Facebook, Johnathan Lindsay Paul – known as 'Billy Goat' – says his plan is to create a border pass at the entrance to Cape Breton and people must show their status card to enter for free.
He proposes a $2 fee to come into Eskasoni, suggesting this will create a few jobs with the profit going to paving new and old roads throughout the community. In a social media post, he is also calling for ID card license plates which are monitored for their 'comings and goings' in and out of Eskasoni.
Paul's reasoning is that it will make a safer community for the children.
If Paul wins the election as chief, he wants to have only band members working on the band council.
He is a local Facebook video personality who documents cars and his trips around the country.
A seventh candidate, Samantha Doucette, could not be reached.
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