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FFIIRRSSTTNNAATTIIOONNSSEELLEECCTTIIOONNSS:: TTHHEECCHHOOIICCEEIISS IINNHHEERREENNTTLLYYTTHHEEIIRRSS 
Report of theStanding Senate Committeeon Aboriginal Peoples
The Honourable Gerry St. Germain, P.C.
Chair 
The Honourable Lillian Eva Dyck 
 Deputy Chair 
May 2010
 
 
Ce document est disponible en français.
Available on the Parliamentary Internet:
www.parl.gc.ca
 
(Committee Business — Senate — 40
th
Parliament, 3
rd
Session)This report and the Committee proceedings are available online at
www.senate-senat.ca
 Hard copies of this document are also available bycontacting the Senate Committees Directorate at613-990-0088 or at
 
 ABORIG-AUTOCH@sen.parl.gc.ca
 
 
 i
Table of Contents
MEMBERSHIP
............................................................................................................................................. ii
ORDER OF REFERENCE
.......................................................................................................................... iii
CHAIR’S FOREWORD
.............................................................................................................................. iv
SETTING THE CONTEXT
......................................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION
........................................................................................................................................ 1
THE COMMITTEE’S DECISION AND PROCESS
................................................................................... 2
ORIGINS OF
 INDIAN ACT 
ELECTIONS
................................................................................................... 3
BACKGROUND TO
 INDIAN ACT 
AND CUSTOM ELECTIONS
........................................................... 5
 Indian Act 
Elections
.................................................................................................................................. 7
Custom Elections
...................................................................................................................................... 8
THE ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INDIAN AFFAIRS AND NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT
. 10
PRESSURE AND ATTEMPTS AT REFORM
.......................................................................................... 12
THE INDIAN ACT ELECTORAL REGIME: WHAT THE COMMITTEE HEARD
.............................. 15
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
.................................................................................................................. 15
A. The
 Indian Act 
Electoral System
....................................................................................................... 15
B. The Two-Year Electoral Cycle
.......................................................................................................... 19
C. Political Accountability
..................................................................................................................... 23
D. The Elections Appeals Process
......................................................................................................... 26
E. Reversion to Custom or Community Elections
................................................................................. 29
F. Testimony of Community Members
.................................................................................................. 34
G. Other Key Issues
............................................................................................................................... 36
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
........................................................................................................... 38
The Recognition of the Inherent Right of Self-Government
...................................................................... 38
Legislative Approaches to Reform
............................................................................................................. 40
THE COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATIONS
....................................................................................... 43
A. Facilitating the Transition to Community-Designed Codes
.............................................................. 43
B. Establishing a First Nations Electoral Commission and Appeals Tribunal
....................................... 48
C. Supporting Regional Initiatives
......................................................................................................... 50
CONCLUSION
........................................................................................................................................... 52
APPENDIX A – WITNESSES
................................................................................................................... 53

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