FSIN chief Bobby Cameron has provided a response to claims a criminal record should have disqualified him from a previous election.
In a CBC article published this past week, Myrna Osoup Boushie, the Chief Electoral Officer for the FSIN election in the fall of 2021, asserted that a previous criminal conviction for Cameron should have disqualified him from seeking election.
Cameron was convicted for breaking and entering and theft in 1993 and was given 25 hours of community service and six months probation as a sentence.
According to the CBC article, Cameron included his criminal record in his nomination package.
Osoup-Boushie and previous opponents of Cameron feel he should have been disqualified as, according to FSIN policy, someone seeking election should not be allowed to run for a position as chief if they have a previous conviction of theft or fraud.
Osoup-Boushie and the FSIN are currently embroiled in a legal battle over previous comments she made about the election.
Chief Cameron never publicly addressed the CBC article.
At the FSIN Assembly in Saskatoon this week, MBC Radio News approached the FSIN Chief for an interview request to speak on the matter. That request was denied with Cameron informing MBC Radio News he planned to address the article during his address to the FSIN Assembly.
During his address, Cameron didn’t specifically address the CBC article, but spoke on “mistakes” he has made in the past.
“I made some mistakes in the past as a young man… battling addictions,” said Cameron. “But those mistakes have made me a better man and a stronger person and have helped me grow into a better leader.”
“Let’s continue to show our children that we don’t need to get mad at each other and make false comments about each other,” he said. “I won’t put anyone’s name in the media and put them down.”
The FSIN Chief spoke on many other matters in his address to the assembly including treaty rights, the opening of the First Nations Health Ombudsperson’s Officer earlier this week, the FSIN challenge against the NRTA, and specific claims settlements.
At the conclusion of his address, Cameron again spoke on his criminal record.
“That incident that happened thirty years ago I have asked the creator for forgiveness,” said the FSIN Chief. “Now I ask this assembly, I ask for your forgiveness, please forgive me because I am not a perfect man.”
While Cameron addressed his previous criminal convictions in his past he fell short of addressing whether they should have disqualified him from running for FSIN leadership.
However, At the end of his address he received a strong endorsement from the chiefs in assembly with a standing ovation. The hundreds of observers of the assmbly would join in the standing ovation as well.
(Top Photo – Bobby Cameron, file photo)