A longtime Cowichan Tribes councillor has been elected as the nation’s first four-year term chief.
The nation ratified their custom election code last year, which means that its elected chief and 12-member council will now serve four-year terms as opposed to two-year terms.
Cindy Daniels was elected chief with 34.7 per cent of the votes cast.
Daniels beat out five other candidates, including incumbent Lydia Hwitsum, for the position.
She received 414 out of the 1,193 votes cast, with Hwitsum receiving the second-most at 294.
Daniels was first elected to council in 2009 and has served six two-year terms as a councillor.
She came second in the 2022 Cowichan Tribes chief election with 125 votes to Hwitsum’s 241.
Daniels was the nation’s general manager between April 2017 and September 2018 and acting chief administrative officer in 2023, according to the Cowichan Tribes website.
Daniels served as acting chief for several months in 2021.
Joining Daniels on council are incumbent councillors Francine Alphonse, Jennifer Charlie, Howie George, Calvin Jr. Swustus and Calvin Sr. Swustus.
The other councillors elected are Christopher Alphonse, Tasha Brooks, Troy Elliott, Audrey George, Terri Nadine George, Amanda Sylvester and Debra-Ann Toporowski.
The inauguration of chief and council is on March 13 and will be livestreamed on social media at facebook.com/cowichan.tribes.
With about 5,400 members, the Cowichan Tribes is the largest single First Nation in British Columbia.
