Quechan Indian Tribe elects new tribal council
The Quechan Indian Tribe swore in (3) new tribal council members and (2) council incumbents on Jan. 4. Though the tribe wanted to hold its normal inauguration which included a general invitation and open participation from the Quechan Community, COVID-19 created restrictions with regards to participation and limited the inauguration to only the elected tribal council officials, an elder who offered prayer and a few tribal singers.
Tribal elections were held on Dec. 7 and even through a pandemic period there was a decent voter turnout out, 475 walk-in votes and 71 absentee ballots were received during the tribe’s general elections. This election saw a high number of candidates as 19 candidates were certified to be on the Quechan election ballot. The candidates had various platforms ranging from health care, housing development, pandemic response, culture, tradition and language preservation, transparency and communication were among some of the platforms.
Those elected and sworn into office were Faron Owl receiving the highest votes at 313, Claudette C. White 287, Darnella J. Melancon 251, Ina M. Hall 211, and Charles R. Escalanti 184. Quechan Tribal President Jordan D. Joaquin said, “I congratulate the newly elected council members. I thank them for their dedication and sacrifice to represent the Quechan Indian Tribe“
The tribe’s top two Executive Officers President Jordan D. Joaquin and Vice-President Virgil S. Smith serve four-year terms, and their seats were not up for this past election. The five council seats are up for election every two years.
The Quechan Tribal Council is responsible for establishing justice, insuring individual, domestic, tribal tranquility and to promote the general welfare of the individual members of the Quechan Tribe and of the Tribe as a whole; to represent the Quechan Tribe in all affairs; and to do all other things which will gain, or serve to gain, for the people of the Quechan Tribe a richer culture and an assured economic independence.