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Sault Tribe Secretarial Election ballots mailed out

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians’ secretarial election enters its final month, with ballots scheduled to be mailed to registered voters by Oct. 26 and election results expected Nov. 19.

Tribal citizens will vote “yes” or “no” on proposed constitutional amendments that would establish three separate, co-equal branches of tribal government: legislative, executive and judicial.

The federally administered election is overseen by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and a Secretarial Election Board. Voter registration closed Oct. 19, and only eligible tribal citizens who registered for this election will receive ballots.

Important upcoming election dates include:

• Oct. 23: Final registered voters List to be posted
• Oct. 26: Ballot packets mailed to registered voters
• Nov. 19: Deadline for ballots to be received 3 p.m. EST. Ballot counting begins at 4 p.m.
• Nov. 24: Deadline to submit written challenges to election results by 4:30 p.m. EST.

Registered voters may return completed ballots through the U.S. Postal Service or hand deliver them on Nov. 19 only, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. EST, at DreamMakers Theater at Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie.

Ballot packets will include instructions for completing and returning ballots. Ballots will be opened and counted beginning at 4 p.m. on Nov. 19 at DreamMakers Theater, with results expected to be posted that evening.

If approved and certified by the Secretary of the Interior, the amended constitution would take effect.

To prepare for a potential transition, the Sault Tribe Board of Directors approved a Constitution Implementation Plan on Sept. 22. The plan establishes an 18-month timeline for updating tribal laws and codes while maintaining government operations, programs and services.

Tribal citizens can find additional information about the secretarial election, voting procedures, important deadlines and the proposed changes to tribal government on the secretarial election landing page.

Read the Proposed Amended Sault Tribe Constitution here.

 

Relative/Kinship Care

Details
Category: Child Placement

Priority is given to locating a relative or other tribal member willing to accept the responsibility of caring for children removed from their families. The majority of children removed from their parental home are placed with relatives.

ACFS provides reunification services to families whose children are returning home at the end of court-ordered placements. The purpose of these services is to provide support to the family and the child during the child’s transition from living in foster care to safely living at home. Families can be provided with a continuum of services through tribal programs and services, community agencies and extended family support.

The following ACFS programs provide services, as deemed appropriate, designed to provide follow-up care to families to whom a child has been returned after a foster care placement:

  • Aftercare supervision through the Sault Tribe Binogii Placement Agency
  • Intensive home-based services
  • Parenting through Child Placement
  • Direct Services through the Direct Service
  • Day Care Services through the Sault Tribe Child Care Center and relative homes licensed under the Child Care Development Block Grant.
  • Substance abuse services through Behavioral Health
  • Mental health services through the Behavioral Health

Generally prior to reunification, the family is involved in an increased parenting time schedule so that the transition is smooth and gradual to allow for a healthier separation and attachment period as the children begin to separate from their foster family and reintegrate back into their birth family.

 

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Photo by Ken Bosma / CC BY