Vince Tacan is stepping back into his previous role as chief of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation after he ousted incumbent chief Jennifer Bone, running on a platform of change for the community in the face of crime and housing issues.
Cheers erupted Thursday night at the polling station in Sioux Valley, located 50 kilometres from Brandon, when Tacan was announced as chief after a tight three-way race. In total, he received 276 votes. Bone received 262 votes and Katherine Whitecloud, another former chief of the First Nation, received 241.
This marks Tacan’s seventh time serving as chief in Sioux Valley. Tacan told the Sun in a phone call Friday morning that a pressing issue he intends to address is ensuring self-governance in the community takes precedence.
“The first thing we have to do is we have to bring back hope to the people that are looking for employment – people that were unable or weren’t considered for jobs, despite the fact that we’re in self-government. We should have been mentoring our own,” he said.
At a candidates’ forum held in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation on Oct. 11, Tacan said important positions in the community were being filled by people who are not band members, which goes against the principles of self-governance.
Housing on the reserve had reached a crisis point, Tacan also said, with many houses in the community needing to be renovated due to poor and/or unsafe living conditions.
Ridding the community of dangerous drugs is also something Tacan is passionate about.
“We need to take care of the drug problem we have, and when I say drugs, I mean meth,” he said. “Folks are lacing their marijuana … with heroin, so that’s disturbing. It’s something that’s causing concern for people.”
Tacan’s cell phone has been inundated with calls and texts of congratulations and support, he said, which has added to his feeling of excitement stepping back into the familiar role of chief.
“I never know who my supporters are. Usually, you hear about family supporting family, but I know I have a good cross-section of support from the community, as well as off-reserve,” he said.
Serving as band councillors this term will be John Bell who received 405 votes, Anthony Tacan who received 341, Melissa Hotain who received 299, Rusty Taylor who received 277, and Carol Johnson who received 258.
The Sun contacted former chief Jennifer Bone but did not receive a reply.
