It is the battle of the Taypotats in a court ordered election for chief of the Kahkewistahaw First Nation.
Advance polls were open on Thursday in Regina for the election which officially takes place this Saturday.
Seventy-five-year-old old Louis Taypotat forced the election after he was prevented from running three years ago.
The band’s election act stipulates a candidate must have a high school education to run, something Taypotat does not have.
What he does have is 32 years of experience as chief of the first nation.
Taypotat challenged his exclusion in court and last month the federal court of appeal ruled he was discriminated against and ordered a new election for chief.
In the new election he is up against incumbent chief Sheldon Taypotat.
Both men were on the campaign trail Thursday.
The chief returning officer for the election, Corina Rider, says there have been few requests for mail in ballots.
“You know the majority of the people live off the reserve but we have had few requests for mail in ballots,” she says.
Almost 1,200 people are eligible to vote in Saturday’s election.
The vote comes at a critical time for the Kahkewistahaw First Nation which is still recovering from a tragedy that saw a six-year-old boy beaten to death in August.
The foster child was visiting the First Nation with his caregiver when he encountered another boy who beat him to death.
The accused, who lives on the reserve, is under the age of 12.
Because of his age, he cannot be held criminally responsible for his actions.
The boy is now under the care of the social services and the circumstances of what happened is the subject of an investigation by the Saskatchewan’s children’s advocate.
Whoever is elected chief on Saturday, will have to deal with the fallout from the case which has attracted nation-wide attention.