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White River First Nation
The WRFN Election Appeal Board was officially appointed on December 19, 2025, and the first meeting of the board occurred on January 4, 2026.
The Elders’ Caucus received five (5) Notices of Appeal regarding the results of the most recent election for Chief and Council. The Elders’ Caucus subsequently determined that each of the Notices of Appeal met the requirements set out in section 9.7 of the Election Code and on November 14, 2025, posted an Expression of Interest for Candidates who wished to sit on the Appeal Board that will consider and decide each of the Notices of Appeal.
Members of the Appeal Board are Rose-Marie Blair-Isberg, Hayden McHugh, and Jessica Lott Thompson.
The Appeal Board recognizes the strong public interest in carrying out our duties promptly, thoroughly, and transparently. We will be posting regular updates on this independent website for community members. If you wish to communicate with the Appeal Board, please email WRFNAppealBoard@gmail.com.
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT --- December 19, 2026
Please click here to view the public Notice of Appointment of the WRFN Election Appeal Board by the Elders' Caucus
NOTICES OF APPEAL RECEIVED – January 7, 2026
The Appeal Board received copies of five (5) Notices of Appeal from the Elders’ Caucus for review, investigation and decision under Article 9 of the Election Code.
LETTERS REQUESTING FORMAL RESPONSE SENT OUT – January 9, 2026
The Appeal Board sent the Notices of Appeal to the Election Officer and candidates requesting their formal Response by January 20, 2026 (10 days).
INVESTIGATION STAGE STARTS – January 13, 2026
The Appeal Board has begun its investigation stage. On January 13, letters were sent providing a detailed update to all individuals who have filed Notices of Appeal. We will also be sending letters to other individuals requesting evidence or information as required. The Appeal Board investigation stage will conclude ten (10) days after we receive the Responses to the Notices of Appeal. At this time, the Appeal Board expects to conclude our investigation stage by late January 2026.
PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLISHED – January 21, 2026
On January 21, 2026 the Appeal Board published a PUBLIC NOTICE in the Yukon News. It was also published on January 13, 2026 on the White River First Nation Facebook page. It is also archived on the WRFN Appeal Board website.
PUBLIC NOTICE – ELECTION APPEAL BOARD
TAKE NOTICE that the White River First Nation (“WRFN”) Election Appeal Board wishes to provide an update to the WRFN community regarding next steps in the appeal process as set out in the WRFN Custom Election Code (“Election Code”).
APPOINTMENT
The Appeal Board was duly appointed on December 19, 2025, by the Elders’ Caucus according to Art. 9.9-9.12 of the Election Code to investigate and decide on election appeals.
TIMELINE AND PROCESS STEPS
The first official meeting of the Appeal Board was held on January 4, 2026. The Appeal Board received copies of five (5) Notices of Appeal from the Elders’ Caucus on January 7, 2026. Following the procedure and requirements of Art.9 of the Election Code, on January 9, 2026, the Appeal Board then sent copies of all five (5) Notices of Appeal to the Election Officer and candidates in the 2025 election. The Appeal Board, following the process set out in Art.9 of the Election Code has provided a ten (10) day deadline of January 20, 2026, for the Appeal Board to receive any formal Responses from candidates and/or the Election Officer.
INVESTIGATION STAGE
The Appeal Board has now begun its investigation stage as required by the process set out in the Election Code. As part of its investigation stage, the Appeal Board will also be sending additional written requests for further information and clarification to various parties in the coming days.
The Appeal Board’s investigation stage will conclude ten (10) days after all formal Responses to the Notices of Appeal are received from the Election Officer and candidates. Once the investigation stage is over, the Appeal Board will issue a written decision on the five (5) Notices of Appeal as soon as possible.
APPEAL BOARD WEBSITE AND EMAIL CONTACT
The Appeal Board has set up an independent website for posting updates to the community. https://sites.google.com/view/wrfnelectionappealboard/updates
The Appeal Board can also be reached by email at WRFNAppealBoard@gmail.com
CONTACT US
The Appeal Board is committed to conducting this process in a fair, respectful, and transparent manner, consistent with the Election Code and principles of procedural fairness. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us directly at the email address provided above.
Sincerely,
WHITE RIVER FIRST NATION ELECTION APPEAL BOARD
Rose-Marie Blair-Isberg
Hayden McHugh
Jessica Lott Thompson
PUBLIC NOTICE - January 13, 2026 WRFN Election Appeal Board.pdfINVESTIGATION STAGE NOW COMPLETE – February 10, 2026
The Appeal Board has now completed its investigation stage as of February 10, 2026.
The initial deadline for responses to the Notices of Appeal from candidates and the Election Officer was January 20, 2026. Extensions were requested and granted for late submission of responses up to January 31, 2026. The Appeal Board also conducted a witness interview on February 4, 2026, and concluded its investigation stage on February 10, 2026.
According to the Election Code, the Appeal Board's investigation stage ends ten (10) days after we receive the Responses to the Notices of Appeal.
DECISION WRITING STARTS – February 11, 2026
The next step is for the Appeal Board to prepare written decisions on the five (5) Notices of Appeal.
We are actively working on completing that task as soon as possible. Please know that the Appeal Board understands the urgent community need for that work to be completed promptly, thoroughly and fairly.
We will be posting those written decisions publicly on this website as soon as they are completed.
APPEAL BOARD SEEKS CONSENT TO JOIN NOTICES OF APPEAL – February 25, 2026
On February 20, 2026, the Appeal Board contacted the Appellants for each of the five (5) Notices of Appeal to request their consent to join their Appeals together for the purpose of issuing one joint decision that would address all of the issues together.
We are actively working on communicating with each of the Appellants as soon as possible. As of today, February 25, 2026, the Appeal Board has not heard back from all Appellants. Thank you to those who have already contacted us to provide your response.
Once this question is resolved, the Appeal Board will issue its decision as soon as possible.
NEXT STEP – DECISIONS TO BE PUBLISHED – Date TBC
The final step is for the Appeal Board to publish its written decisions on the five (5) Notices of Appeal. The written decisions will be made available to the public.
We expect to complete those written decisions by end of February, 2026.
APPEAL BOARD PUBLISHES JOINT DECISION – February 27, 2026
On February 27, 2026, the Appeal Board has published its joint decision regarding the five (5) Notices of Appeal regarding the 2025 WRFN Election.
All of the Appellants consented in writing for the Appeal Board to issue one joint decision that would address all of the issues together.
You can read the full text of the Appeal Board's Decision: see below.
WRFN ELECTION APPEAL BOARD - DECISION - February 27, 2026.pdfPUBLIC NOTICE ISSUED – February 27, 2026
On February 27, 2026, the Appeal Board has issued a PUBLIC NOTICE informing WRFN voters and members about its decision.
On February 27, 2026 Public Notice will be sent to the Yukon News to be published on the next publication date of March 4, 2026 (digital and print versions).
Also the Public Notice will be shared with WRFN Administration for publication on the WRFN website and Facebook page.
PUBLIC NOTICE - February 27, 2026 WRFN Election Appeal Board.pdfPage updated
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