SHESHEGWANING—Incumbent Chief Joseph Endanawas was returned to the head of the Sheshegwaning First Nation council table in the band’s November 16 election.
Chief Joseph Endanawas will be joined at the 2013-2015 council table by councillors Lance Panamick, Alana Endanawas, Albert Cada, and Gene Cada.
Chief Endanawas overcame a challenge by Leonard Genereux, receiving 72 votes to Mr. Genereux’s 55 votes. There was one spoiled ballot for councillor.
The results for the election to the band’s four member council were: Albert Cada, 66; Gene Cada, 62; Sharon (Sherry) Dayfox, 13; Alana Endanawas, 74; Christine Endanawas, 31; Leonard Genereux, 15; Lance Panamick, 76; Mildred (Cada) Rogers, 31; Dean Joseph Roy, 52; Gregory Sampson, 53; and Sandra Sampson, 34. There was one spoiled ballot recorded for councillor.
In an unusual oversight, both The Manitoulin Expositor and the Manitoulin West Recorder missed the lead up to the band election and failed to report the results of the election following its completion.
Chief Endanawas chided both the papers for dropping the ball on the election in a recent email. “This is directed more to the Recorder on Western Manitoulin, but could apply equally to the Expositor,” he wrote. “The Sheshegwaning First Nation had their election on November 16, 2013 as we do every two years. It is interesting to note that neither paper showed any interest in our election, I guess as they say no news is good news. Non controversial items do not sell newspapers.”
Chief Endanawas went on to point out “We in Sheshegwaning are humble people and do not crave publicity, but on the other hand, I believe that we should publicize and promote the many good things that are being accomplished by the Sheshegwaning First Nation. Maybe next election we will create some controversy to get some attention.”
Chief Endanawas has been unavailable to comment directly on the election or his council’s plans for the future as of press time, but his chastisement of our papers in this matter is both accurate and roundly deserved, although no official notice of the election was sent to our publication.
We do, however, regard local elections in the communities we serve as important events to record without regard to controversy or notoriety. The Expositor regrets the oversight in failing to report the election results in a timely manner and apologizes to the people of Sheshegwaning. We will endeavour to provide better performance on our part, both today, through the next two years of this council’s mandate and beyond into the future.
