Saulteaux Woman Hopes To Run For Provincial NDP

Saulteaux Woman Hopes To Run For Provincial NDP

Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 13:12

 

 

It’s about time Aboriginal people took their place in the Saskatchewan Legislature, at least according to a Saulteaux First Nation member who is hoping to run for the New Democrats in next year’s provincial election.

 

Yesterday, Bernadette Gopher announced her decision to run for the NDP nomination in the Cut Knife-Turtleford constituency.

 

The riding surrounds the Battlefords and includes seven First Nations — and several chiefs and elders have publicly announced their support for Gopher.

 

They say if she wins the nomination, they hope she will defend treaty rights.

 

Gopher says she is running to reverse cuts the Saskatchewan Party has made to health care and education.

 

She also says the government has decided to sell Crown land without consulting people.

 

Gopher adds she noticed relatively few people voted in the last election, and she wants to encourage more people — Aboriginal and non-aboriginal — to get involved and vote.

 

Gopher’s husband Fred Gopher is a former Saulteaux chief.