1 week Ago By By Michele McDougall
Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation has elected a new chief — 25-year-old Tréchelle Bunn. She is the first woman and the youngest person to ever hold that leadership role. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
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99 a X percent off the regular rate. Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation has elected a new chief — 25-year-old Tréchelle Bunn. She is the first woman and the youngest person to ever hold that leadership role.
Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation has elected a new chief — 25-year-old Tréchelle Bunn. She is the first woman and the youngest person to ever hold that leadership role. Bunn said she has always dreamed that one day she would be able to give back to her community by “running for chief.
” “It wasn’t until some community members asked me, and some elders approached me to see if I would run for chief, that I said, ‘You know what? If the community is calling upon me, I’ll answer that call,’” she told the Sun Friday, one day after she was elected. Southern Chiefs’ Organization Grand Chief Jerry Daniels stands beside Tréchelle Bunn, the newly elected chief of Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation. She is the community’s first woman chief and the youngest to ever hold the position.
(Submitted) “Being the chief of my nation is the greatest honour of my life.” Bunn won with 191 votes, more than double the 85 votes received by her opponent, Gloria Chalmers-Rach. The votes were counted Thursday and announced by the Southern Chiefs’ Organization later that evening.
While congratulating Bunn, SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels said in a news release that he was not surprised that she was the one to become the youngest and first female chief to serve the Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation. “Your accomplishments are many,” Daniels said. “Your ability to build partnerships and relationships resulted in you carrying out beautiful acts such as providing free, new running shoes for the young people in your Nation.
“Your strength and bravery in speaking to the public, to media, government leaders, and to international bodies such as the United Nations — to advocate for our relatives and the citizens of SCO’s 32 Nations — is commendable,” Daniels said. Bunn is a second-year law student at the University of Manitoba and is a past youth chief of SCO. In 2021, after the discovery of 215 possible unmarked graves on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, she organized a Healing Walk in her community to honour the residential school survivors and victims, including her grandparents.
In 2022, Bunn created a half-marathon called Reconciliation Run, an annual 21.1-kilometre run starting at the former Birtle Residential School and ending on Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation. She partnered with Under Armour Canada to donate 213 pairs of athletic shoes, which were given to every young person in the Birdtail community.
Bunn spent Friday in Birdtail for an “informal” meeting with newly elected councillors Carson Benn, Doug Hanska Sr., Heath Bunn and Samantha D. Benn.
“I wanted to bring everyone together to congratulate them,” Bunn said. “Establishing those relationships on the first day after the election is really important, and I think we made some good progress getting on the same page and establishing a vision for moving forward.” The community is excited about having Bunn as their new chief, because of her youth and experience and what she represents to the young people who live there, said May Benn, a Birdtail employee.
“The majority of our voters are young people, and they see her working to heal and speaking around the world. It’s good, they look at her and say, ‘I can be chief one day, too.’ “Tréchelle is very motivated, and that’s what people are intrigued about with her influence on our next generation,” Benn said.
“She’s a fresh start.” Outgoing Birdtail chief Lindsay Bunn Jr. was a victim in a home invasion in February, when he and another community member were injured in the assaults.
Three people from Birdtail were arrested and face numerous charges, including assault causing bodily harm and break and enter with intent to harm. It’s important to acknowledge the challenges that the past leadership faced, Bunn said, when asked how she will address community issues going forward. “I think the most important thing when you’re a leader of any organization, community or nation, is establishing unity,” said Bunn.
“That’s something that I want to bring to the table. We’re stronger when we’re together, so going back to community gatherings, community meetings and consultations will be essential,” she said. “I’m always the person who’s thinking about the future and how we can move ahead — looking through the windshield rather than the rearview mirror.
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