CdA tribe elects Stensgar, Luke

Over the weekend, Coeur d’Alene tribal members cast their votes to fill two positions on the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council.  Incumbent Ernie Stensgar was re-elected to serve another term on Tribal Council.  Newcomer Christopher Luke was also elected to the second position.

Stensgar was first elected to Tribal Council in 1984 and served as the Chairman from 1986-2004. He has been the Vice Chairman of the Council since 2007. Stensgar is a veteran and the first tribal leader to be named to the Idaho Hall of Fame. Luke currently works for the Coeur d’Alene Tribal School as the Business Manager. He has previously worked for the tribe’s forestry program and has held numerous positions at the Coeur d’Alene Casino. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho and recently earned his Master of Business Administration.

At the swearing-in ceremony in Desmet this morning, the Tribal Council also selected its executive officers. The seven-member Council unanimously re-elected Chief J. Allan to another year as the Chairman of the Tribe, a position he has held since 2005. At the ceremony, Allan said he saw a bright future for the Tribe and encouraged everyone to be involved in a positive way to help the Tribe move forward. Ernie Stensgar will retain the position of Vice Chairman of the Tribal Council and Donald Sczenski will continue to serve as the Tribal Council’s Secretary.

There are seven people who serve on the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council. Elections for the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council take place every May. The terms are staggered and no more than three positions are up for election each year. The candidates who receive the highest number of votes are elected to Tribal Council for a three year term. On the Monday following each year’s election, the newly organized Council votes to select a Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer to serve a one year term/ Heather Keen , Coeur d’Alene Tribe.