Later today we should know who the new grand chief is for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC). Given the importance of aboriginal politics in Manitoba, the outcome of the race to succeed departing Grand Chief Ron Evans of Norway House should be of interest to all Manitobans.
Evans, who had served as grand chief since 2005, was elected chief of the Norway House Cree Nation July 22, topping a field of 11 candidates in a special election for chief. A former Norway House chief, Evans was 22 when first elected as a band councillor in 1980.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs represents 59 First Nations and some 128,000 treaty First Nation citizens who entered into Treaties No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10.
The grand chief, to be elected today by Manitoba's chiefs, for a three-year term during the AMC's annual general assembly at the Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN), near The Pas, is someone who facilitates and guides, often trying to navigate the tricky currents of band politics in a diplomatic way that builds consensus, while at times being both a forceful public advocate and ambassador.
The grand chief does not so much hold overt political power as the power of moral suasion. Any powers or authority granted to the grand chief comes from the member First Nation governments consenting to the collective will of the chiefs-in-assembly.
Former Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) grand chief and defeated federal Liberal candidate Sydney Garrioch is running to be grand chief as part of a competitive field of five seeking the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs grand chief's job. Other contenders include Dennis White Bird, former Treaty Relations Commissioner for Manitoba, and an Anishinaabe from the Rolling River First Nation.
Also in the running is Dennis Meeches, former chief of Long Plain First Nation for 10 years. In May 2009, Meeches joined the Jorgenson Group of Companies, founded by Manitoba pharmacist Daren Jorgenson, as director of aboriginal health care and business solutions to work primarily under its Four Rivers Medical Clinic banner in Winnipeg on health and wellness partnership issues.
The fourth candidate in the AMC grand chief's race is Chris Henderson, an Anishinaabe and member of the Black River First Nation. He is also a former band member of the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation.
Henderson is currently the executive director of the Treaty Land Entitlement Committee (TLEC) of Manitoba Inc. TLEC's mission is to provide technical support and assistance to its member First Nations in the implementation of their individual treaty land entitlement agreements under the Manitoba Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement.
Prior to his appointment as executive director of TLEC, Henderson served as project manager with the Government of Manitoba's aboriginal issues committee of cabinet, providing policy analysis and advice on a variety of issues involving First Nations.
Henderson has a B.A. in history and a communications certificate in public relations and marketing, both from the University of Winnipeg.
From 2004 to 2007, Henderson served as the Southern grand chief of the Southern Chiefs' Organization of Manitoba, representing 36 First Nations in southern Manitoba.
Pine Creek First Nation Chief Derek Nepinak is also running for the grand chief's job. Nepinak is the AMC co-chairman for consultation and accommodation, a member of the executive committees of both the AMC and the Southern Chiefs' organization and has served as chairman of the West Region Tribal Council.
His undergraduate degree is from the University of Alberta, while he has a law degree from the University of Saskatchewan.
Garrioch is a member and former chief of the Cross Lake First Nation and served as grand chief of the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak for two terms between 2003 and 2009. All in all, Garrioch has been involved in aboriginal politics for about 30 years.
He also served for six years as MKO's vice-chief of child and family services. MKO represents the 65,000 treaty First Nation citizens of the 30 First Nations of Northern Manitoba.
Garrioch was the unsuccessful Liberal candidate for the Churchill riding in the May 2 recent federal election. Garrioch finished a distant third behind incumbent NDP MP victor Niki Ashton and repeat Tory challenger Wally Daudrich.
Garrioch also owns and runs the Mistasaneek gas station in Cross Lake.
While Garrioch is something of a local favourite in the North, known for his fundamental decency, and would be a very popular choice, should he win today, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs would be well served, we think, by any of the five competitors for the grand chief's job.
This is a strong field seeking an important job. White Bird, for instance, is a former grand chief of the AMC, having been elected in August 2000. He worked as a teacher for seven years and served for 18 years as the chief of Rolling River. He later served as regional chief for the Manitoba region within the national Assembly of First Nations (AFN).
In June 2005, the federal Liberals appointed him the first Treaty Relations Commissioner for Manitoba.
Meanwhile, Henderson, just to pick another example, while he's not a newcomer to aboriginal politics by any means, is, win or lose, part of a new generation of chiefs we are going to hear more from and know better in the years ahead.
