Posted by Nathan (198.103.249.251) on August 23, 2001 at 09:48:31:
In Reply to: Re: One General Grassroots Election for National Chief posted by douglas on August 17, 2001 at 15:57:26:
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: douglas: Yeah sure their are provinces with a higher population of aboriginal people, but within these provinces, as you already know, thier are various tribes whom have different interests. Such as here in Manitoba for example the northern Crees and say the southern Ojibways have different ideas and issues they want addressed and look at canidates differntly. Wouldn't this be the same in Ontario with northern Ojibways, Oji-Cree and say the Southern Six Nations People? I just don't see voting patterns going by province by province, and as for individual people whom are very popular in the public eye, I don't know about you but I can't see myself voting for say Tom Jackson or Grahame Green just because thier on TV and I'm sure the rest of the grassroots people as a whole care a little more about thier leadership and future then that. As for this Wapistan in Ontario, I don't even know who he is and I'm sure alot of other people in the western provinces wouldn't know him either, proving again that this wouldn't turn into a popularity contest. As for your comments on lumber company canidates, the Canadian party system during elections has strict rules on how much a party can accept for donations and they all have a budget that they must use for campaigning. This is something that the AFN can adopt to control donations being made to canidates and in turn making the elections alot more fair and equal in the eyes of the people. As for Mathew Coon Come claimng to be a grass roots National Chief, your only a true grassroots Chief when your either voted in by the grassroots people and make decisions that reflect the wishes and concerns of all of them. Currently I feel and as I stated berfore, unless he finally pushes this serious issue nothing is going to change with the AFN National Chief. The National Chief will always be told what to and not to do by the Chiefs and we will always have the same problems that are currenly effecting us for many years to come.
Nathan