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Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians 2018 Inauguration Ceremony held in Red Lake - P2

RED LAKE, MN – Shortly after 9 AM, the Red Lake Tribal Council convened at the Red Lake Casino Event Center for their Regular Tribal Council Meeting, along with numerous Tribal members and guests.

One of the main purposes of the meeting being held at the Event Center, was because the recent 2018 Tribal Elections had concluded last month and newly elected members had to be sworn into office.

Once the Tribal Council meeting was called to order by Chairman Seki, the certification of election results was presented and passed, and elected officials took their oaths of office.

Those taking oaths included Julius "Toady" Thunder, reelected to the Redby Representative seat; Donald L. Good, Sr., elected to the Red Lake Representative seat; Michelle (Barrett) Cobenais, elected to the Little Rock Representative seat; Annette Johnson, reelected as Red Lake Tribal Treasurer; Sam Strong, elected as Red Lake Tribal Secretary; and Darrell G. Seki, Sr., reelected as Red Lake Tribal Chairman.

Good, Cobenais and Strong were elected as new members to the Red Lake Tribal Council. Good took a seat vacated by Roman "Ducker" Stately who retired from the Council, Cobenais took a seat vacated by her father, Richard Barrett, who passed away this year and Strong took the seat vacated by Donald Cook who passed away in 2017.

All terms are for 4-years, except the seat won by Michelle Cobenais, whose term is for 2-years.

On July 18, 2018, in Red Lake Run-off Elections, Darrell G. Seki was re-elected as Red Lake Tribal Chairman for another 4 years, defeating former Chairman Floyd "Buck" Jourdain 1802 to 1568.

Treasurer Annette Johnson was also re-elected, defeating challenger Chad Prentice, 1803 to 1552. Prentice won in Redby, Red Lake and Little Rock, but lost in Ponemah and absentee voters. It was his first time running for any type of elected office.

Julius Thunder defeated former Redby Representative Thomas Westbrook 436 to 355 for Redby Representative.

In the Red Lake Secretary's race, newcomer Sam Strong defeated appointed Secretary and Hereditary Chief, Darwin Sumner, 1740 to 1595.

Sumner was appointed as Tribal Secretary by the Tribal Council in 2017 after the passing of then Secretary Donald R. Cook.

Another newcomer, Donald Good Sr., defeated David Desjarlait in the Red Lake Representative race, 835 to 553. Former long-time Red Lake Representative Roman Stately retired and did not run this year, leaving that slot up for grabs.

In the 2-year term Little Rock Representative race, Michelle Barrett Cobenais, also a newcomer, defeated former Little Rock Representative William "Billy" Green 350 to 197. Michelle's father, Little Rock Representative Richard Barrett, passed away in 2017, for which he had two years left in his term.

Her seat will come up for reelection in 2020, along with three other representative seats, while all others will be up for election in 2022.

At the Regular Tribal Council Meeting of Tuesday, June 12, 2018, Gary Nelson was sworn in as the Ponemah District Representative, having been reelected in May of this year, along with the new Little Rock Representative, Adrian Beaulieu, who unseated Charles Reynold.

Both began their terms after being sworn in by Hereditary Chief James Loud. Their four-year-terms will run until May 2022.

After all members were sworn into office and presented remarks, Eyabay and Young Creek sang honor songs, followed by congratulations by Tribal members and guests to the newly elected Council members, and a luncheon.

The Regular Tribal Council Meeting then reconvened at the Red Lake Tribal Government Center at 12:30 PM.

 

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