Birdtail debates rail referendum

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This article was published 29/06/2016 (3618 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Despite a low turnout, a lively discussion took place during an information session about an upcoming referendum about Birdtail Sioux First Nation’s proposed rail spur project.

Roughly 10 of the First Nation’s 236 off-reserve band members attended the event hosted by Birdtail’s referendum facilitator, David Meeches, at the Brandon Friendship Centre on College Avenue Tuesday evening.

The community will vote “yay” or “nay” on Aug. 2, to designate two parcels of land owned by the First Nation for leasing purposes. The first is the recently acquired urban reserve in Foxwarren, and the second is a stretch of land near the CN main line that runs near Birdtail.

The community originally held a referendum on the rail spur in 2013, but the project was defeated.

“The significant difference between the votes is that this is a general designation … meaning that there’s no companies or corporations tied to the land,” Meeches said. “The land (in Foxwarren) needs to be designated for commercial purposes.”

The 1,884-acre parcel of land intended for the rail spur got the most attention on Tuesday, with one attendee voicing concerns about how the development might affect hunting and medicinal plants in the area.

“What if something happens to that railroad? It’s going to mess up that valley and it’s going to affect those resources,” said Crystal Bunn, who is from Birdtail and lives in Brandon.

Birdtail Chief Ken Chalmers says these are the kind of questions council expected to come up.

“We surveyed the land … we really took it seriously and went to our hunters and elders and people who pick medicines,” Chalmers said. “There’s nothing there, it’s just along the rail track.”

Bunn also took issue with the late notice she received about the meeting.

“I just found out about this meeting yesterday,” she said on Tuesday. “You’re expecting people to come out and vote … but what about the people who don’t know?”

Chalmers says that while information packages were sent to off-reserve band members only this week, he is committed to getting the word out and coming back to Brandon before the referendum.

“We want to make sure there’s informed decisions,” he said, acknowledging that negative attitudes about the rail spur project exist from the previous vote. “We’re trying to come together as a community — that has been the hardest part of my career as chief here is getting everybody to trust leadership again.”

There are 558 Birdtail members eligible to vote on Aug. 2, and a simple majority is required to move the designation forward — meaning a majority of the votes cast need to be “yes” votes.

Off-reserve members can mail in their votes prior to the referendum, and the First Nation is working on a contingency plan should postal workers go on strike this week. Birdtail might arrange for off-reserve voters to be picked up or their votes to be sent in via courier service.

Chalmers is expecting a positive outcome this time around.

“I’m for it, of course, but we have to see the light,” he said. “We can’t sell a chicken before we designate.”

Visit birdtailsioux.org for detailed information about the land designation and the referendum.

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