Dene Tha’ First Nation members in northwest Alberta are heading back to the polls on June 23, 2026, to choose eight councillors just weeks after Joe Pastion was elected Chief. The council election follows a nomination meeting on June 9 that drew 33 candidates for the eight seats across the communities of Bushe River, Chateh, and Meander River.
Pastion secured the position of Chief on June 8, 2026, defeating four other candidates in a vote run by Electoral Officer Brenda Vanguard under the First Nation’s own election rules. Vanguard confirmed the results were posted the same day at the Dene Tha’ First Nation office in the province of Alberta. Pastion previously held the role from 2013 to 2017 before being unseated by James Ahnassay in a 2017 race where Pastion lost 129 votes to 158, later challenging the outcome in Federal Court without success.
Now, attention turns to the general council election set for Tuesday, June 23. Polls will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at three locations: the Four Chiefs Complex for Bushe River, the Chateh Arena for Chateh, and the Meander River Complex for Meander River. The districts will each elect a set number of councillors—one in Bushe River, five in Chateh, and two in Meander River—for a total of eight seats.
Electoral Officer Brenda Vanguard is overseeing the council vote and can be reached at (780) 721-8852 for questions. The Dene Tha’ First Nation, a Treaty 8 member, has about 1,800 people living on reserves and roughly 600 living off-reserve in the northwest corner of the province. The First Nation is also part of the North Peace Tribal Council, which represents several area communities.
More details on the candidates and polling can be found through the Notice of Council Election and the List of Councillor Candidates posted by the First Nation.
