Cameron eyes second term as chief
FSIN leader announces he will stand for re-election during vote in October
Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron says he plans to seek a second term as head of the organization that represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.
Cameron, 44, announced his intention to stand for re-election on Friday while flanked by 21 chiefs from across the province at the FSIN’s Saskatoon headquarters.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us to do. Some good, constructive work has happened in the past but (there’s) more work to do when it comes to inherent and treat rights,” Cameron said.
His announcement comes six months ahead of the election, which is scheduled for Oct. 24-25. He said it’s not yet clear whether he will face competition for the federation’s top job.
“There’s always the potential, right? We understand that it’s anybody’s right to seek any position,” he said, adding that he does not know of anyone who has formally confirmed their candidacy for chief.
Cameron is from the Witchekan Lake First Nation. He worked as a teacher before being elected as the FSIN’s second vice-chief in 2011. He was re-elected in 2014 and became chief in 2015 after winning in a landslide.
The terms of FSIN first vicechief Kim Jonathan and third vice-chief Edward (Dutch) Lerat are also set to expire in October. Both won by acclamation in the October 2015 FSIN election.
Moments after launching his campaign, Cameron said he is “95 per cent” sure Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will become the first sitting prime minister to attend the FSIN’s legislative assembly, scheduled for next month.
Representatives of the Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to a request for confirmation.