By Cara McKenna Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A lawyer representing Kwantlen First Nation’s longtime chief and council told a federal court judge last week that there was “no good faith” by members who led a vote to oust their hereditary leader in November of 2022. However, representation for the Kwantlen people who prompted the vote told the court on Friday that a decision to remove Chief Marilyn Gabriel through a s???n?q (general assembly) was “an example of custom in action” and that community members were acting based on their Coast Salish law. Kwantlen’s system is unique in that its unelected chief and council are the sole leaders and the chief generally rules for a lifelong term. Most other First Nations with hereditary governments also have an elected government operating concurrently….
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