The Chilkoot Indian Association’s council chair and vice chair, Les Katzeek and James Hart, were unseated at last week’s election. The three other incumbents won. A rare five seats out of seven were on the ballot due to a missed election last year during the pandemic.
The two new council members are Andrea Ferrin, who tallied the most votes at 63, and Jan Hill, former Mayor of Haines Borough, who got 49 votes. Council members Georgiana Hotch, Nels Lynch and Bill Thomas won reelection, garnering 51, 49 and 45 votes respectively. Council chair Les Katzeek and vice chair James Hart received 42 votes each. (Robert Martin and Kevin Thompson were not up for election.)
“The two council members we lost had strong and healthy visions for the tribe,” said tribal administrator Harriet Brouillette. “They stepped up the most when I needed it.” (Hart is Brouillette’s son.)
Brouillette said she hopes the new council will continue down the road paved by the current one. Last year the council developed a five-year strategic plan. “We have done a lot of work in this community that has benefited everyone, not just tribal members,” Brouillette said. The tribe has built public walking trails and is developing food sustainability, economic growth and culture programs.
Brouillette lost her seat as the tribe’s SEARHC representative. She received 42 votes behind Jan Hill, who got 48.
“It was not a typical election,” Brouillette said. Usually, only two or three seats — each for a three-year term — are up for election, but last year’s race was canceled due to the pandemic. “We’re still trying to make up for lost ground,” Brouillette said.
Voter turnout was slightly above average, Brouillette said.
Bill Thomas, who has served on the council for about ten years, said he ran for reelection because he believes he can leverage his experience to help the tribe. “I have access to a lot of people,” Thomas said. “I’ve been involved in this stuff for 45 or 50 years,” referring to his work in local and state politics.
Hart said he wanted to thank “people who came out and voted and…who put their names in for service.” He declined to comment further.
Hill and Ferrin didn’t respond to requests for comment by press time and Lynch couldn’t be reached. Katzeek declined to comment. Hotch referred the CVN to Brouillette for comment.
The new council will be sworn in this fall, Brouillette said. A date has not been set.