SASKATOON—Bobby Cameron is continuing to fight for First Nations communities in the province and will work to advance the agenda of their inherent Treaty rights after being elected to a fourth term as leader of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.
“It is back to work now. We are going to Ottawa to meet with ministers to push the agenda of Treaty rights, to push the agenda for jurisdiction, and to push the agenda for every one of you,” said Cameron to the cheers of his supporters gathered at TCU Place on Nov. 1.
Despite the FSIN under Cameron’s leadership being audited by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), Cameron garnered 765 votes, compared to 258 for his opponent Aly Bear, in the election on Oct. 31. ISC is conducting a forensic audit of the FSIN’s finances from 2019 to the present.
Even though Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand voiced his concerns about the FSIN’s finances, this did not deter Cameron's supporters from giving him another term to lead the organization for the next three years.
“We want to say we denounce any political attack on any candidate. We oppose that approach. We always wanted to run a clean, kind campaign… We love and respect you all,” said Cameron, a Witchekan Lake First Nation member.
“Thank you, all of you, for being here, for believing in something and someone, for believing in what we have always believed in – inherent and treaty-based implementation. We thank you all. It has been a long and tough road, but this is our commitment as the FSIN executive.”
Cameron thanked Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook as his first nominator. The nomination was seconded by One Arrow Chief Janine Baldhead, as well as the veterans, senators, the women’s commission, and the FSIN staff.
He added that his role as FSIN chief is dedicated to future generations, so they can have better lives and opportunities to succeed, with more choices than those who came before them, and that addiction and alcoholism might be eradicated among First Nations communities.
“It will come to a point where 100 percent of our First Nations will one day beat the demon of alcohol and drugs. That is what our ancestors and our people have wanted for decades. That is the life I have committed to. The problems of alcoholism and addiction will become a memory among First Nations people in the province,” said Cameron.
Of 1,137 eligible voters, 1,029 cast their ballots, with six being spoiled or rejected for the FSIN chief post. There were no spoiled or rejected ballots for the position of first vice chief, and only four ballots were spoiled or dismissed for the third vice chief.
David Pratt was also re-elected as first vice chief with a strong lead, garnering 841 of the 1,021 total votes cast, with Chaplin Campbell coming in second with 125, and Milton Gamble being third with 55. Fabian Head will join the FSIN executive as third vice chief, beating five other candidates with 507 votes. Reginald Bellerose (133), Wally Burns (121), Willis Janvier (106), Hailey Rose (104), and Orrin Greyeyes (54) were the other third vice chief candidates.
