April 16, 2026
The Appeal Committee appointed by Chief and Council pursuant to the Norway House Cree Nation Election Procedures Act (the “EPA”) is in the process of hearing six outstanding appeals of the 2026 election results filed pursuant to the EPA.
The Council recognizes the challenging nature of this matter and the tensions it has created within the community, and has been requested to convey the following message from the Appeal Committee:
The members of the Appeal Committee are working diligently to hear the appeals, with the persons most directly affected by the results of the appeals being given ample procedural rights to participate and provide evidence in the appeals, while at the same time allowing for the appeals to be heard and decided in accordance with the short timelines set out in the EPA. The Appeal Committee members have determined that there is a significant potential for tensions to rise if all members of the community were to be invited to participate in the hearings of the appeals. This could negatively affect the ability of the Appeal Committee to decide the appeals objectively and in the short timelines provided for in the EPA. For that reason, the Appeal Committee has decided not to invite all community members to the hearings of the appeals.
The Appeal Committee members do not take their task lightly, and are giving the appeals the attention that they require. The Appeal Committee has directed that it will instruct NHCN to publicly post detailed written reasons for its decisions respecting the appeals in due course, in the same manner as the Appeal Committee did respecting the first appeal of Larson Anderson (see the Appeal Committee’s Reasons published on April 2, 2026).
The Appeal Committee members appreciate and acknowledge the tension that has arisen in the community respecting the appeals, and are doing all that they can to hear and decide the appeals as the EPA requires.
Council urge all NHCN members to respect the role and position of the Appeal Committee members, and the need for them to be provided with an opportunity to consider and decide the appeals independently.
Council remains committed to supporting the work of the Appeal Committee, acting in the best interests of the Norway House Cree Nation, and ensuring that members are kept informed as these matters continues to progress.
We acknowledge the tensions that have arisen and encourage all members to approach this process with respect, patience, and a shared commitment to upholding the integrity of the appeals process.
We thank all our Norway House Cree Nation members for their continued patience, understanding, and cooperation during this process.
PDF Version: 26 04 16 Community Announcement (EAC Message) – FINAL
Last modified: April 16, 2026
