Local News

Colville Members Vote to Keep Name in Referendum Election

Feb 08, 2018

Today the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CCT) determined through a referendum election that tribal members believe they should not change their name. Over seven thousand ballots were sent and 1926 ballots were counted as valid. With 1630 “no” votes over 296 “yes” votes, the name “The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation” will remain.

The Colville name derived from the name of a Governor of the Hudson Bay Company, Andrew Colvile. In 1872 an Executive Order identified the tribal confederation with the word “Colville.”

Almost a year ago the Colville Business Council passed a resolution to explore the idea of changing the name of the Tribes. After several outreach meetings on and off the reservation, the Elections Committee sent out a referendum ballot to eligible voters.

The Colville Business Council placed this issue in front of Tribal voters to gauge the opinion of as many members as possible. “We encourage the participation of all eligible members in all elections,” Elections Chairman and CBC member Jack Ferguson said today. “ The process of considering this change has given us the opportunity to know more about the Tribes’ name and the history behind it. It has helped to build awareness and also determine what the majority of voters prefer.”