Former MKO grand chief Sheila North running for top job at Assembly of First Nations
'Chiefs don't work for the AFN — the AFN should work for the chiefs,' says North
Sheila North, a former grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, says she'll run to become the next national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
"I think it's time to take the Assembly of First Nations back to the chiefs of Canada, because it's their organization," said North, who is also a former CBC reporter, during a Thursday news conference at the Manitoba Indigenous Cultural Education Centre in Winnipeg.
"Chiefs don't work for the AFN — the AFN should work for the chiefs," she said, adding she believes the organization needs to stop acting as a kind of administrative arm of the federal government.
In 2015, North became the first woman to lead Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which represents dozens of First Nations in northern Manitoba.
The member of Bunibonibee Cree Nation in northern Manitoba also has more than a decade of experience working as a journalist, including stints at CBC and CTV.
North previously ran to become grand chief of the national Assembly of First Nations in 2018, coming in second to Perry Bellegarde. She ran twice to become grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs — in 2021, when she lost to Arlen Dumas, and again in 2022, when she placed third.
"I'm proud to say that I have learned a lot from those elections, and I walk into this one more experienced, stronger, loving and patient," she said.
North says if elected, she would address issues such as addictions and mental health epidemics that have left First Nations in Canada "in dire straits."
Treaties and the inherent rights of First Nations must be respected in order to address those issues, including the right to self-governance, she said.
"We need our own health systems. We need our own justice systems."
WATCH | Sheila North announces bid to lead AFN:
North said during her time at Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, she was "relentless" in her efforts to get the federal government to address the First Nations health crisis in the province, especially in Manitoba.
She also referred to commissioning a study by Brandon University, alongside Manitoba's Southern Chiefs' Organization, that found Indigenous people in Manitoba contribute $9.3 billion to the economy.
"Manitobans know that Indigenous people have value, that we are here, and we do contribute."
North said she has the right qualifications, training and people around her to become the next national chief, and has received endorsements from Bunibonibee Cree Nation Chief Richard Hart and others across the country.
Hart said North has been a leader and an innovator throughout her career, adding that her experience with northern Manitoba communities gives her a unique understanding of the issues that First Nations across the country face.
"She knows these issues, and she'll bring a strong voice to isolated communities such as ours," he said at the news conference.
North is also an advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous women who currently works with the International Commission on Missing Persons, which is consulting with Indigenous communities interested in searching for unmarked graves at former residential school sites.
She said if elected, she would continue in that role, which involves helping the group to facilitate community engagement sessions, but would make changes to ensure that the work is not hampered by her new job.
Candidates running to replace ousted grand chief
The upcoming AFN election comes after the dramatic ouster of former national chief RoseAnne Archibald, who was voted out after colleagues accused her of creating a toxic work environment — an allegation she continues to deny.
The deadline for nominations in the contest is Nov. 1, and the vote is set to take place Dec. 6 during a special assembly in Ottawa.
David Pratt was the first person to announce his intention to run to be the new national chief in August. Pratt currently serves as a vice-chief with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, an organization representing 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.
In his announcement, Pratt said the AFN is at a "critical juncture" and the election is about restoring and rebuilding the national organization.
His platform focuses on unity and inclusion, reconciliation and rights, economic empowerment and environmental stewardship.
Assembly of First Nations Manitoba Regional Chief Cindy Woodhouse, the lead AFN negotiator for a landmark child-welfare settlement passed this week, announced her candidacy earlier this month.
Woodhouse said that growing up in Pinaymootang First Nation, she saw a disparity between her community and non-Indigenous communities. As a result, she said, she is devoted to making the lives of First Nations people more equal.
In announcing her bid, she said that one of her first priorities would be to work on First Nations policing, saying that communities are facing many challenges and Ottawa isn't listening enough.
Woodhouse also said that she is a "bridge-builder" who would work on renewing and strengthening relationships federally and provincially.
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With files from The Canadian Press's Alessia Passafiume