Mi’kmaq chiefs laud Bellegarde re-election
The chief of Nova Scotia’s largest Mi’kmaq community says he’s thrilled Perry Bellegarde has been re-elected as leader of the Assembly of First Nations.
“Before Perry, many of us Mi’kmaq chiefs never felt respected and never felt involved or included,” said Eskasoni Chief Leroy Denny. “It was always just Quebec and the rest of the country. But that’s changed under his national leadership.
“We’re working toward unity with all the chiefs and Indigenous communities across the country and the federal government is there in the na- tional meetings, engaging in those dialogues. Bellegarde has brought the federal government, the prime minister (Justin Trudeau) to the chiefs. I never saw this before, and it’s amazing.”
Bellegarde won 328 of the 522 votes in a second ballot, giving him just over the 60 per cent needed to be elected as leader of the assembly for a second term on Wednesday.
Bellegarde, who is from the Little Black Bear First Nation in Saskatchewan’s
Treaty 4 territory, has said his close relationship with the federal government has secured billions of dollars in new funding for Indigenous issues over the last three budgets. He has also been criticized by other candidates for being too cozy with Ottawa.
But Denny and other Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq leaders say that relationship has sparked a longneeded discussion on reconciliation with First Nations people.
Denny is currently working with federal and provincial counterparts to develop legislation to protect the Mi’kmaq language. The Trudeau government has committed to protecting all Indigenous languages under law. Denny says he’s worked closely with the association and Bellegarde on the file.
“Perry understands how the residential school era affected our language, our culture and he’s been tireless about revitalizing the language, promoting and protecting and preserving Indigenous languages in the country.
“Because without it, we lose our identity. If we don’t do anything it will be extinct. But having that protection entitles us to more immersion schools, more resources, more of our own educators,” said Denny.
Morley Googoo, Assembly of First Nations regional chief for Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, agrees.
Googoo admits the federal government has stalled in some of its key commitments to First Nations people — safe drinking water in First Nation communities and the delayed Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women investigation — but he also sees unprecedented progress.
“We have a prime minister coming to our assemblies for the first time. Before we couldn’t even get a government minister to come to our executive meetings. Now, we have four or five federal ministers coming to the table seeing where they can help.
“These talks came from Perry, that’s where they came from. To hear them say that they acknowledge the deficits many of our people are facing, our desire for improved self-government, adequate housing, is a huge thing. I believe they’re attempting to create a better quality of life for all First Nations people.”
At the same time, Googoo says he sees signs of progress in First Nation communities throughout Nova Scotia.
“Membertou and Millbrook are easy to spot. But there are others, such as Glooscap Landing where there’s been amazing multimillion-dollar development, at Paq’tnkek First Nation they’re pushing ahead, involved in a highway overpass being developed. Annapolis Valley First Nation bought a whole new strawberry farm, getting their people to work, creating self-sustainable funding for its community.”
He says Bellegarde is aware of all of these projects and continues to push the federal government to partner in First Nations economic development projects.
“He goes to the sweat lodges, too, with the chiefs while visiting communities. He’s very involved in ceremonies. I’ve seen him grow in his patience, strength and perseverance. He has 635 communities to look out for, which are all diverse, have their own issues and challenges. He’s a great leader for our people.”