Joe Pastion has been elected Chief of the Dene Tha’ First Nation, based in Chateh, Alberta, after a vote held on June 8, 2026. Pastion won the election to reclaim the position he last held eight years ago, according to a statement from Electoral Officer Brenda Vanguard.
Vanguard confirmed that polling stations were open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and that ballots were counted by hand. The election followed the community’s own rules, the Dene Tha’ First Nation #448 Election Regulations 1993, which means the vote was run under a custom system, not the federal Indian Act.
This win marks a political comeback for Pastion, who first served as Chief from 2013 to 2018. He lost his re-election bid in 2018 to James Ahnassay by just 29 votes, a result he later challenged in Federal Court without success. Ahnassay had previously served 16 years as Chief before Pastion first defeated him in 2013, and returned to the role from 2018 to 2026.
The Dene Tha’ First Nation is a Treaty 8 community with about 3,149 registered members. Most live in three main settlements: Chateh, Bushe River, and Meander River, all near the town of High Level. The Nation is governed by a Chief and an eight-member council and belongs to the North Peace Tribal Council.
The official results were posted on the Dene Tha’ First Nation website on June 9, 2026.
