Bobby Cameron has been re-elected as chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in what could be described as a landslide victory.
The results came in Thursday afternoon with Cameron defeating challenger Delbert Wapass with 727 votes to Wapass’s 216.
Cameron says he will continue to run an FSIN that is based on inherent and treaty based.
“We must remind them on treaty and we will continue to educate them on treaty,” Cameron told the assembly.
Meanwhile, Dutch Lerat was re-elected as Third Vice-Chief with 467 votes. Challengers Corey Bugler had 355 and Christine Jack received 124 votes.
Elected to the position of First Vice-Chief was Morley Watson in a tight race. Watson defeated Darrin Poorman with a vote count of 545 to 414.
This past month has seen controversy surround the organization. First a dispute arose between the FSIN and Kimberley Jonathan over who should be interim chief. Then this week Saskatoon Tribal Chief Mark Arcand was vocally critical of the FSIN.
Arcand did tell reporters outside the election assembly that the Tribal Council will not be removing themselves from under the FSIN.
He says, however, he will continue to lobby for change.
“There are rumours going around that the STC will be pulling out from under the FSIN…that is not the case,” he said. “The FSIN and AFN do not speak on behalf of the STC when it comes to programs, dollars and services.”
The STC Chief says he hopes to see a change in governance structure in the organization. He also hopes the FSIN will stick to lobbying efforts and allow tribal councils to focus on programs and services.
Arcand says while change is needed, his door is open to the re-elected chief to build a better relationship between the two organizations.
(Newly re-elected chief of the FSIN, Bobby Cameron, reading the oath of office. Photo by Joel Willick.)