STA Lists Winners In Tribal Council Election

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Category: News

Created on Wednesday, 13 November 2024 15:02

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By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    Yeidikook’áa (Dionne) Brady-Howard has been elected Sitka Tribe of Alaska Tribal Council chairman, STA announced today after votes were counted in the council election that ended Tuesday.
    She received 114 votes to incumbent chairman Lawrence “Woody” Widmark’s 93 in an election that drew a turnout of 210.
    Four were elected to the Tribal Council. Louise Brady was the highest vote-getter with 130, followed by Alana  Petersen with 120, Steven Johnson 104 and Robert Sam with 102.
    Brady-Howard and the newly elected council members will serve two-year terms, which will begin Dec. 1.
    Also receiving votes in the council election were Blossom Teal-Olsen, with 97; Lillian Feldpausch with 92; and Sonya Smith with 70.
    Brady-Howard said she was pleased to have been elected as Tribal Council chairman, becoming the second woman in STA history to hold the position. KathyHope Erickson was the first.
    “Thank you to Woody for his decades of service to the tribe, and I’m humbled for the support I received in the election,” Brady-Howard said. “I look forward to serving the tribe in this capacity as we move forward without COVID funding, and continuing to provide services for the benefit of tribal citizens.”
    STA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Gassman commented on the election in a news release:
    “We’re excited to see much higher turnout in our Tribal election this year Gunalchéesh to all nine candidates who ran for Tribal office this year, and to Lawrence Widmark and Lillian Feldpausch for their service. The Tribe extends thanks to all of our citizens who voted in this election as well as our election supervisor and workers.”
    Gassman extended her special thanks to the Hames family for hosting a polling location at Sea Mart Quality Foods.
    The oath of office will be administered in early December, with terms running Dec. 1, 2024, to Nov. 30, 2026.
    The turnout was the highest in four years for Tribal Council elections with 200 casting ballots in 2020, 60 in 2021, 159 in 2022 and 65 in 2023.
    Sitka Tribe of Alaska is a federally recognized tribal government under the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act that serves more than 4,500 citizens of Tlingit, Haida, Aleut, Tsimshian, and other Tribal heritage. STA operates within the city.