Chief Leroy Denny given four more years to lead Eskasoni
Speaking in Mi'kmaq and English, the first thing the chief did was express gratitude to those who helped him come through a contentious election in which he was up against six other candidates. And the second thing he did was express respect to all the candidates who put their names forward to run.
'We heard your issues,' he said. 'Let's get on with the work. Let's focus on healing.'
During the election, the candidates were respectful of each other, but people in the community took to social media to throw out unfounded accusations of everything from fraud, to greed and nepotism, to improprieties of all kinds.
But at the end of counting day Tuesday, Chief Denny won the most votes with 1,148 cast for him. The vote counts were unofficial as of deadline time.
And just as the returning chief was gracious in victory, other candidates for chief were gracious in their unsuccessful attempts.
Candidate Darlene Marshall wrote on social media that she wanted to thank the community for the honour of candidacy for chief this term.
'Regardless of who is elected, want to express my optimism that our community will continue throughout this upcoming term to be respected with transparency and accountability by our leadership. Our community should be a reflection of community members and governed for us by us,' she said.
Fellow candidate, Alyssia Jeddore was equally gracious in her response to Denny's win.
'I am so grateful to the 693 people who believed in me! This was such an eye-opening experience – hearing all the things our community wants and needs. I am truly humbled by it,' she said. 'I was so happy to show what a community approach to campaigning looked like, and it took off like wildfire. One of my goals was to unite the community which I saw happen with all the positive events that took place.
'I truly love our community and our people. All I ever wanted for our community was to strengthen what exists currently. I want to congratulate the elected Chief Denny and Council. Let's go!'
For his part, Chief Denny summed up what most of the candidates said in their approach to voters: 'We all love Eskasoni.'
NEW COUNCILLORS
The youngest candidate for band council, Cole Stevens, 21, and a local sports star, garnered 423 votes in his first try at politics.
Twelve councillors were elected out of a field of 61 running. Only two, Kateri Stevens and Jerod Francis are new to council: (unofficial counts)
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The UAE welcomed its ruling, with an official saying that the Gulf state "bears no responsibility for the conflict". The RSF also denies committing genocide, saying it was not involved in what it describes as a "tribal conflict" in Darfur. But the UN investigators said they had received testimony that RSF fighters taunted non-Arab women during sex attacks with racist slurs and saying they will force them to have "Arab babies". How do you define genocide? There have been several rounds of peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain - but they have failed. BBC deputy Africa editor Anne Soy says that both sides, especially the army, have shown an unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire. UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also lamented that there is less global interest in the conflict in Sudan, and other recent conflicts in Africa, compared to crises elsewhere in the world. "I think race is in the play here," he told the BBC in September 2024. The International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank has called diplomatic efforts to end the war "lacklustre", while Amnesty International has labelled the world's response "woefully inadequate". Humanitarian work has also been badly affected by the decision of the Trump administration to cut aid. Aid volunteers told the BBC that more than 1,100 - or almost 80% - of the emergency food kitchens have been forced to shut, fuelling the perception that Sudan's conflict is the "forgotten war" of the world. 'I lost a baby and then rescued a child dodging air strikes' Sudan in danger of self-destructing as conflict and famine reign From prized artworks to bullet shells: how war devastated Sudan's museums Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
