Sir Paul McCartney performs on stage in Ottawa in 2013 The names of McCartney and actor Ryan Reynolds have been nominated for the chief’s position for Walpole Island’s upcoming election. File photo/Postmedia Network
The nomination last week of two high-profile celebrities for chief in Walpole Island’s upcoming election put a renewed spotlight on a clause in the “archaic” federal Indian Act.
Ryan Reynolds and Sir Paul McCartney were nominated for chief even though they are not members of the First Nation. But if their names were allowed to stand, one of them could in theory become the new band chief for Walpole Island.
James Jenkins, Walpole Island’s director of operations, said it wasn’t his place to make a judgement, nor did he know the intention of the nominator when asked if the nominations were an insult to the office of the chief.
“It was somewhat known in the community, I would say, that a non-member or non-native…
