May 29th has been circled as Election day for the Métis Nation in Saskatchewan. There are 12 individual Voting Regions across the province.
The nomination period runs from April 24th to 29th with voting in the Regional Returning Office beginning on May 15 and Advance polls rolling out on May 22nd.
Lashburn resident Crystal Miller is filing her papers to run for area director of Western Region 1A covering Lloydminster-North Battleford, bounded by Macklin and Wilkie to the south, and Frenchman Butte and Spiritwood to the north.
“My platform as well is on inclusiveness. No matter if we have the same opinion or not. If we have agreed or not. Métis people are Métis people and we all need help getting up here. I plan to be completely inclusive and fair and to bring change.”
Miller is a sixth generation grand-daughter of Cuthbert James Grant a prominent Métis leader of the 19th century. Her lineage includes relatives who took part in the Frog Lake Massacre as well as the the battle of Batoche during the North-West Rebellion of 1885. She says her relatives stood up for what they believed and she is the exact same way.
Miller admits with COVID, it has been very hard to meet people the way you normally would on an election campaign. She sees the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan as needing to engage their people to assist in post-COVID recovery. She wants to put an end to the them and us attitude that she has witnessed over the past decade.
“If people want to see change, if you want to know who your director is instead of just hearing about them. I’m going to be a very present leader. I’m going to be engaging with these people, with all these local, small and big, so that we can have a voice together. It won’t just be my victory, it will be our victory.”
Miller has a meet and greet planned for this Sunday April 25th in the downstairs Auditorium of Culture House in Lloydminster. The 2 PM event will follow COVID-19 distancing guidelines.