Members of the Okanagan Indian Band will head to the polls to elect a new chief and council at the end of the month.
The OKIB's election day is March 31, and members will be able to cast their votes from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Head of the Lake Hall that day. Members living off reserve who are eligible to vote will be able to do so by mail-in ballot.
There are four candidates running for chief. They are (incumbent) Byron Louis, Jimmy Bonneau, Rachel Marchand and Dan Wilson.
Louis is seeking an eighth term as OKIB chief. In 2023 he won re-election by just four votes against Wilson.
There are 28 candidates running for one of 10 seats on council, including seven incumbents seeking re-election.
Those candidates in alphabetical order are: Sarah Alexis, Cory W. Bonneau, Raymond Bonneau, Cindy Brewer, Jenelle Brewer, Viola Brown (incumbent), Valerie Chiba (incumbent), Michael Conlin, Donna Good Water (incumbent), Tim (Timothy) Isaac (incumbent), Mary Jack, Margaret (Peggy) Joe, Patrick Lawrence, Allan Louis (incumbent), Erica Louis, Monica Louis, David Marchand, Farren Marchand, Bert (Hubert) Marchand, Rachel Marchand (incumbent), Shane Miller, Michael Ochoa Sr., Jasmine O'Donaghey, Floyd Oppenheimer (incumbent), Jade Spotted Eagle, Jon (Jack) Spotted Eagle, Pierre Richard and Michael Ranger Robins.
Three people who were voted into council in the 2023 election 鈥� Raymond Marchand, Rochelle Saddleman and Patricia Jack 鈥� are not running in this election.
Band members will have a chance to hear from the candidates a week before election day, as an all candidates forum is being held on Sunday, March 23 from 2-6 p.m. at Head of the Lake Hall.
Profiles on all of the candidates have been posted in the OKIB's Senk'lip March newsletter, which can be found on okib.ca.
