SHOW OF SUPPORT
Re-elected AFN chief saluted
SASKATOON Saskatchewan’s Indigenous leaders congratulated Perry Bellegarde on his successful re-election as national chief of the Assembly of First Nations after the organization concluded its elections in Vancouver on Wednesday night.
Bellegarde, from the Little Black Bear First Nation in Treaty 4 territory in Saskatchewan, previously served as the chief of the FSIN.
In a news release, Bobby Cameron, current chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, said he looks forward to continuing the organization’s “positive working relationship” with Bellegarde and the AFN as he begins his new term.
“There are a number of issues facing Saskatchewan First Nations communities. We are anticipating that Chief Bellegarde will continue his hard work in ensuring that the Treaty and Inherent Rights of First Nations people and communities in Saskatchewan are addressed at the national level.”
Bellegarde won 328 of the 522 votes in a second ballot vote, giving him slightly more than the 60 per cent needed to be elected leader for a second term.
Sheila North of Manitoba won 125 votes, Miles Richardson of B.C. won 59 and Russ Diabo of Quebec won 10.
Katherine Whitecloud of Manitoba was eliminated in the first round of voting for having the fewest votes.
The vote in Vancouver sparked some controversy when all four of Bellegarde’s challengers claimed election interference by the federal government because Crown-indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett was at the convention during the vote.
“Our four candidates are standing together to make sure at least the integrity of our ... political process is protected and honoured among our people. We do not condone the interference of the federal government, and anyone who does should be accountable to this assembly,” Richardson said.
Bellegarde said he will use his next term to continue working with federal and provincial governments to improve quality of life for Indigenous peoples, including closing the gap in youth suicide rates, which are five to seven times the national average, and putting resources toward the 40,000 First Nations children who are in foster care.