They'll never settle anything

At the risk of jeopardizing any chance of getting a 'First Person' essay in 'The Globe', I'm going to weigh in on the upcoming election of a new leader for the Assembly of First Nations (AFN).  The voting starts this Wednesday, with six contenders hoping for the job.

Just to throw a monkey wrench into the whole process, interim national chief, Joanna Bernard, has called for the government to rescind Bill C-53, which recognizes Métis governments in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan.  She claims Ottawa did not do enough "consulting" before tabling it.  

Soon-to-be-gone Chief Bernard

How you can ever do enough consulting when you're dealing with chiefs in 634 communities, comprising 900,000 people, is beyond me?  Can you imagine ever getting consensus and settling anything?  Rhetorical.  I suspect Bernard felt she didn't get her way, so threw a hissy in the media.  I also think she didn't want to start sharing the federal booty with a bunch of upstart Métis Johnnie-come-lately-s, who aren't "real" Indians.

But, why Bernard pulled this with mere days left in her tenure is beyond me? -- unless it was to ensure chaos reigns supreme at the convention in Ottawa, which it most certainly will.

The doomed Chief Archibald

RoseAnn Archibald was thrown out of office when 71 percent of 231 chiefs voted to dump her amid accusations that she bullied and harassed staff.  Frankly, I think it was a gang-up of male chiefs who didn't like a woman running their show.  Oh, that, plus the fact that she was starting to dig into band finances to see where all the money was going. But, isn't native society a matriarchy?  I'm confused.

(Note:  If you want to see what staff bullying and harassment really look like, tune into 'The Thick of It', an hilarious British series about life in a Minister's office, where abuse is rampant.  But, that's a blog for another day.)

So, I'm looking forward to coverage of this melee and who emerges the "winner".  Whoever it is, they better not start poking around in bank accounts if they know what's good for them.

(p.s.  Can't wait to see the righteous Tanya Talaga's take 'cause you can bet she be there with feathers on and pen out.)