A familiar name is throwing his hat in for leadership of the Assembly of First Nations.
Reginald Bellerose, former chief of Muskowekwan First Nation and current board chair of SIGA, has announced his campaign to run for National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
At an event at Dakota Dunes Tuesday morning, Bellerose announced his intentions to try again for the position.
“Together we will secure a better future for generations to come,” said Bellerose. “I announce my candidacy for AFN National Chief.”
The former Muskowekwan First Nation chief ran in the last election eventually losing to former AFN Chief RoseAnne Archibald. Archibald was ousted from the position this past summer following internal turmoil in the organization.
“There is a need for experience on the national level,” said Bellerose while speaking on his time as chief of Muskowekwan First Nation and on the SIGA board and the success he has had in both those roles. “It is not an easy job, but a job that must be done to affect change.”
Bellerose says he will run on a platform of unity, wellness, and wealth generation.
“The AFN has faced a fracture,” he said. “But I know that despite these challenges we can bring nationhood back to the organization.”
Bellerose also says one of his main focuses if elected would be to battle alleged sexual harrassment at the AFN.
“Women are not safe in the AFN workplace. All of that has to stop in the best interest of our young girls.”
When asked by MBC Radio News about what tangible steps he could take to address the issue of workplace harrassment for women Bellerose says he would simply install the recommendations put forward in Resolution 13. This was a resolution passed by chiefs in assembly this past summer and carries several recommendations to curb workplace harrassment at the AFN.
Bellerose also says he wants to give chiefs in Canada better access to the Prime Minister’s Office, and to make sure all Indigenous people in Canada benefit from gaming revenue.
However, in order to do these things Bellerose says he needs the chiefs in Canada to come back to assembly. He spoke on on how under 200 of a possible more than 600 chiefs attended last summer’s assembly.
“With those numbers we are not strong. We are only as strong as the number of chiefs we have in assemlby… the door needs to open and you need to come back.”
Bellerose will join FSIN Vice-Chief David Pratt as the two people from Saskatchewan who have announced their intentions to run in December’s election.
The deadline to submit the paperwork for nominations is this week.
(PHOTO – Reginald Bellerose announces his bid for AFN leadership. Photo by Joel Willick.)