Running for council is your opportunity to serve your Nation. The process is guided by our Custom Code to ensure fairness, accountability and respect for our traditions. 

Your support will help guide initiatives, support community priorities and bring the perspectives of your people into decisions that shape how the Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation thrives today and into the future. 

This is your chance to take part in honouring our history while shaping the future of our Nation. Represent your clan and contribute to decisions that will strengthen our community for generations to come. 

Here’s a simple guide to running for Council and making your voice count, guided by our Custom Code. 

Our Custom Code is in the process of being ratified. Visit our office or contact reception@lhooskuz.com to read the Custom Code in its entirety.

HONOURING OUR LEGACY

Strengthening cultural traditions and ensuring our history informs leadership decisions. 

By running for council, you have the opportunity to uphold the values of our ancestors, honour the lessons of our past, and help ensure that the decisions we make today reflect the wisdom, knowledge, and the culture that build our Nation. 

According to the Custom Code, developed in consultation with members of the Nation:

• The Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation has the right to self-governance, a right of historical significance to present and future members.
• This self-governance is exercised through a Custom Election Code that reflects our Nation’s unique values, traditions, customs, and practices.

The Custom Code is intended to document these values, traditions, and practices to ensure:

• The fair and transparent selection of Chief and Council
• That Chief and Council fulfil their duties with respect, integrity, and fairness to all members of the Nation
• The Council consists of one Chief and four Councillors:
  • The chief may be a member of any of the family clans and represents the Nation as a whole 
  • The councillors will represent one of the four traditional family clans of the Nation: 
    • Baptise / Cassam / Paul 
    • Boyd
    • Chantyman
    • Jimmie / Jimmy / Alexis / Stillas 

By participating, you will help honour the legacy of our ancestors while contributing to governance that is rooted in culture, fairness, and community.

FULFILLING RESPONSIBILITY 

Serving the Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation with care, diligence, and integrity is more than a duty. You become a guardian of our people’s trust, carrying the responsibility of leadership with thoughtfulness, courage, and heart. Ensuring that every decision strengthens the community we all call home.

Ready to Lead? Here’s the Eligibility to Run for Council: 

• Registered member of the Nation for at least five years 
• Full age of 18 year old or older on the day of the election 
• Have not been previously removed from council within six years of the election date 
• Have not been convicted of violent or sexual offences, or found liable for fraud, theft, or other acts of dishonesty
• Not owe money to the Nation 
• Abstain from alcohol or recreational drugs during candidacy and if elected, during their term in office
• Abstain from excessive gambling or games of chance involving risking actual money during candidacy and if elected, during their term in office

Ready to Share Your Voice? Here’s How to Campaign: 

• Must be in accordance to the rule and regulations of the Custom Code
• Without coercion or vote-buying
• Respecting the right and freedom of other candidates to organize and campaign 
• Respecting the right of voters to obtain information from a variety of sources or to attend political rallies. 
• Ethically with a focus on political issues and candidate platforms rather than smear campaigns, rumours or innuendos. 
• Non-violently, without intimidating other candidates, voters or the media, or encouragement of violence
• Respecting the freedom of the press to cover and express opinions on the campaign  

Ready to Reach Out to Voters? Here’s How It Works:

• Each family clan is responsible for choosing their own representative councilor
• If there is only a single Petition proposing a single candidate it must bear signatures of a majority (50% +1) of the voting members belonging to the electing family clan. 
• Where more than one Petition is submitted, then the candidate with the most signatures will be considered the successful candidate. The total number of signatures on the Petitions combined must represent a majority (50% + 1) of the voting members belonging to the electing clan. 
• The remaining members of the Council shall review the Petition to confirm that it complies with the requirements of the Custom Code. If so, the Council will confirm the election of the new councilor named in the Petition. 

All voting members must meet the eligibility requirements outlined here, as well as any additional criteria specified in the Custom Code:

• Must be recorded in the Band List maintained by Indigenous Services Canada 
• Full age of 18 year old or older on the day of the election 
• Voting members may only belong to one family clan. 
• Must be in accordance with their family clan membership as outlined in the Custom Code

Family Clan Membership Eligibility

1. If their surname corresponds to one of the four traditional family clans of the Nation
2. If their surname is different, may choose to be a member of any family clan to which their father, mother, or any grandparent belongs. Voting member must community their choice of family clan to Council in writing to be recorded on the Family Clan List. 
3. In all other cases covered by (A) and (B), including where a voting member wishes to change their family clan currently on the Family Clan List, they must make a request to council, who may vote to approve or deny the request. 

These steps are designed to make the process clear and fair, while reminding candidates that leadership is about service, not status. By completing each stage, you demonstrate commitment to your clan and to the Nation as a whole.

SHAPING THE FUTURE 

Council members guide programs, initiatives, and community decisions that affect the wellbeing of every member. Through this leadership, you contribute not only to the present but also to the enduring strength and unity of our Nation.

If Elected, What Are My Responsibilities to the Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation? 

1. Uphold the Custom Code – Carry out all duties in compliance with the Nation’s Custom Code, ensuring decisions respect our traditions and governance framework.
2. Act with Integrity – Fulfill duties faithfully, honestly, and impartially, exercising powers with care, diligence, and in the best interest of the Nation.
3. Share Information Openly – Communicate ideas, plans, and updates transparently, keeping members informed and engaged in community decisions.
4. Collaborate Respectfully – Work closely with fellow councillors, staff, and community members, valuing diverse perspectives and fostering inclusive decision-making.
5. Lead in Problem-Solving – Take initiative in conflict resolution, mediation, and thoughtful problem-solving to maintain harmony and unity in the Nation.
6. Advance the Nation’s Mission – Support in building a strong Dakelh Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation where trust, healing, and the empowerment of every person’s voice and potential are at the heart of our community.
7. Promote the Vision – Make decisions that contribute to a unified Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation, thriving in harmony with the land and each other, empowered by strength, pride, and the spirit of our ancestors.
8. Support Cultural Revitalization – Champion initiatives that preserve traditions, strengthen cultural identity, and build a lasting legacy for future generations.

Serving on council is a commitment to your people, your culture, and your Nation. By carrying out these responsibilities with care, integrity, and collaboration, you help ensure that every decision strengthens our community and honours our shared history. Your leadership today will support a thriving, empowered Nation tomorrow.

Step into leadership for our Nation. Run for Council.

Your voice matters. Your perspective is needed. Every councillor contributes to shaping a strong Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation where trust, healing, and empowerment guide our actions. By stepping forward, you are helping build a stronger, unified community for all members. Honoring the past, serving the present, and shaping the future.

Our Customs. Our People. Our Future. 

From our ancestors to our children, leadership rooted in history and shaping our legacy.