Assembly of First Nations must chart a new course, national chief hopefuls tell forum

The two Manitobans vying to becomenational chief of the Assembly of First Nations shared their reasons for running at a forum Wednesday night on Brokenhead Ojibway Nation.

Sheila North and Katherine Whitecloudwere two of four candidates who spoke at the forum at South Beach Casino, organized by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

"It's about the messaging and direction I am receiving from ancestors and the knowledge holders and the elders," said Whitecloud, who is running for the first time.

Whitecloudsaid she decided to take a run at national chief ondirectionfrom her elders. She previously served as the Manitoba regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations and is a former executive director of AMC.

North is the current Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak. She is not seeking a second term, so she canfocus on her campaign for national chief.

"Whenyou are called to lead and when it is your time, it's your obligation," said North, who is also making her first bid for the position of national chief.

Both women said they've been hearing from chiefs across Canada that it is time for a new direction at the AFN.

"The feeling of the leadership is that the AFN is becoming and behaving like a government representative," said Whitecloud. "The original intent of the AFN was to be an advocacy, lobby group, to open the doors, to create the field to create the space for our leaders to be able to do what they need to do with the Queen's representatives."

First Nations are getting stronger, said North, which puts the onus on the AFN to step up and stand with them.

"Canadahas to get on board andunderstand that our communities and our chiefs and leaders and citizens are more that than ready to take back control of our own lives," said North."That is where we are heading and that is where this national organization needs to head."

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"The AFN is essentially a liaison that is supposed to be opening doors for our chiefs," said Dumas. "The individual chiefs are the rights holders and and they're the ones that have the authority and autonomy on behalf of their citizens."

He said he would like to see the successful candidate continue to bolster First Nations' sovereignty and push treaty rights.

"I believe the current government is getting a better understanding on how we need to move forward," said Dumas. "In order to move forward in a constructive way, we need to come together again."

All chiefs fromacross Canada will gather next week in Vancouver and cast their ballots for national chief.