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For immediate release
July 21, 2021

 

Winnipeg, MB, July 21, 2021 – The election for Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. (MKO) Grand Chief will be held on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, during the 40th MKO Annual General Assembly in Norway House Cree Nation. All Chiefs, Headmen, and Councillors of MKO member First Nations are eligible to vote. There shall be no proxies.

The electoral officer for the 2021 Grand Chief election has received and accepted nomination forms from two individuals. They are listed as follows:

 

MKO Grand Chief Candidates:

Garrison Settee, Pimicikamak Cree Nation
Cell: (204) 612-1284
Email: [email protected]

“I am pleased to announce my intention to run for a second term of the MKO Grand Chief position. It has been a high honour to serve in this role since I was first elected in August 2018. I want to thank all the MKO leadership for putting their faith in me and for allowing me to carry out this sacred duty of advocating on behalf of our First Nations. I am also grateful for the four Chiefs who have signed my nomination papers to enable me to run for a second term of office. I am a true Northern citizen at heart. I love living in Northern Manitoba and it will always have my heart. I am confident that with First Nations working in solidarity and in a constructive way with our partners and allies, the North will rise. I am hopeful I will be able to advocate for continued positive changes for Northern First Nations during a second term of office as MKO Grand Chief. Ekosani.”

 

Ken Bighetty, Mathias Colomb Cree Nation
Cell: (204) 307-1810
Email: [email protected]

Ken Bighetty B.A., graduated from U of W with a Political Science major. He is from the community of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation where he was on council for 8 years, worked as youth coordinator and worked with youth in the development of Jr. Chiefs and Council with 140 Jr. Councillors. The RCMP crimes stats saw a decrease in crime from 77 YOC to only 19 the following year. Became a historic signatory to the Treaty Land Entitlement Agreement in 1997, late Chief Solomon Colomb told him as a teenager on the short fall and subsequently signed the historic agreement.

He currently works for Keewatin Tribal Council and has visited with many communities and also across Turtle Island with his healing, laughter with youth, elders sharing their knowledge, all levels for the betterment and pathway conversations for healing. He is still very busy as President and social media as ‘Chief’ of the ‘Bighetty n Bighetty Cree/English Puppet show’ with his brothers has bought a phenomenal amount of healing through social media and they have a CBC short doc., nominated at Saskatoon Film Festival and we’re headliners at World Puppet Conference in Calgary.

Ken practices his cultural roots and so thankful to the many teachers and elders, especially his surviving mom Theresa Bighetty.

Hiy hiy

 

The electoral officer thanks the two candidates for coming forward and wish them both luck on their candidacy for the office of the Grand Chief.

Office of MKO Grand Chief Electoral Officer
Stephanie Connors

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Media contact:
Stephanie Connors
Phone: (204) 620-2998
Email: [email protected]