NAN Grand Chief candidates on problems, solutions and legacies

Wawatay News asked each candidate for Grand Chief to answer three questions. Each candidate was sent the same three questions, and given 100 words for each answer. Their answers are here, transcribed as they sent them.
Brian Davey
WWT: What are the biggest issues facing NAN communities?  
BD: We have many issues but some of the largest issues are related to prescription drug abuse, drug and alcohol addictions, lack of housing and infrastructure, unemployment, the need for youth empowerment, insufficient funding for education, policing, different health standards being applied due to jurisdictional issues, jurisdiction over traditional lands, revenue sharing, ceasing economic opportunity, lack of equity to start businesses, and implementation of treaty and inherent rights.
 
WWT: What is the first thing you would do to begin addressing those issues?
 
BD: Review the decisions the Chiefs have made and see if there are areas, that we, as a newly elected executive council, can add value to by recommending new or revised approaches. My preference as Grand Chief is to seize the economic and infrastructure development opportunities  - not by getting in the way of local or regional initiatives that have already been started, but by helping where we can. For example, I believe we should develop an equity fund for our entrepreneurs and business corporations to grow or start their businesses.
 
WWT: If you were elected Grand Chief, what legacy would you hope to leave behind after your term was over?
 
BD: I would like to be a part of a legacy where we collectively as First Nations are unified and to act in unity in taking control of our economic destiny and creating prosperous and healthy communities. This is collective legacy I wish for. Our role as the newly elected executive council is to bring that unity to reality by exposing the clear benefits of acting as «one» while respecting our diversity.
Mike Metatawabin
WWT: What are the biggest issues facing NAN communities?
MM: The biggest issues facing our communities today would include: Severe prescription drug abuse, Housing shortages, High costs of food, fuel, transportation, lack of access to quality medical care, cutbacks to transportation for medical care, lack of mental health care and services, ongoing suicide amongst our people, intergenerational impacts from residential school, ongoing inequality of education funding. Also without getting into detail, these issues continue to be raised from the communities and many remain to be ongoing, like family violence, sexual abuse, child apprehensions and a lack of a First Nations controlled child welfare system.
WWT: What would be the first thing you would do to begin addressing those issues?
MM: We need to continue working within our communities to begin addressing many of the social issues we continue to hear about. We cannot only address these matters during a chief’s conference. They need to be followed up at the community level. Our people also require healing from the residential school era. We need to protect our families and instill upon our youth the importance of family. On the issues of health and education, we need to be stronger in our messages about the treaty we have with Canada and why we need to maintain that relationship.
WWT: What legacy would you hope to leave behind after your tenure is over?
MM: Our elders who had a vision to unite to create strength for success still resonates in my memory of them when they spoke loudly in past chiefs conferences. We need to instill upon our youth today of our rich history as one people with the same vision. Our elders understood that we as a nation of people are all in the same boat and we all need each other to succeed for the future of our people. Our history needs to be taught in our schools. As grand chief, this is the legacy I would wish to leave behind.
David Neegan
WWT: What are the biggest issues facing NAN communities?
DN: There are so many issues we are facing but if I was to sum it up in one statement, we have a lower standard of living. We have limited success when we go to government for assistance, or launch a legal court case. If I was to use a metaphor, it would be like we’re playing in a hockey game where the rules are set by people who don’t want us to win yet we play each night.
WWT: What is the first thing you would do to begin addressing these issues?
DN: If you look at tribes that unite, they form nations and those nations are still in existence today. We won’t find unity in urban areas but in the communities. The first thing we need is a common election code in each First Nation. We can gain leverage because it is people who make change.
I’ve witnessed the strength of what we can do when we work together. For example I think of Railey Barkman, Wasaya, Keewaytinook Okimikanak’s Broadband and Mushkeegowuk, I know what we can accomplish.
No where else are we stronger than in our communities. I will ask the Chiefs to support a motion to move NAN to a NAN First Nation. Many of our youth are losing their language and culture. This trend will continue as long as our youth are educated from outside of the community. We need to utilize broadband in the community to deliver services on reserve.
WWT: If you were elected Grand Chief, what legacy would you hope to leave behind after your term was over?
 
DN: Legacy is a wrong word to use because it implies that the Grand Chief will accomplish this but one man cannot do this alone, we need everyone united. We already have vast resources within our area that can provide a higher standard of living. I would like to see our own children educated, work and living life as God has intended where our ancestors lived from time immemorial.
Doug Semple
WWT: What are the biggest issues facing NAN communities?  
DS: When I look at the social landscape of our First Nation communities there are a litany of issues that face them. It overwhelms me to the point of despair at times but I truly believe we each have a spirit within us that will not give in to this despair. The following are some of the issues I think we need focus on:
- Major health issues such as prescription drug abuse, youth suicides, complications from diabetes
- High unemployment rates and poverty
- Inadequate housing
- Erosion of treaty and land rights through mining and resource development which do not respect us
WWT: What is the first thing you would do to begin addressing those issues?
DS: I want to begin by bringing to remembrance that we, us as members of the Nishnawbe Aski Nations combined, were never meant to live as oppressed people. The Great Spirit, Our God, gave us an independent spirit with a will to choose what we will be. It is contrary to live our lives in such a state that we have been in the last fifty years basically since the advent of the Government’s active legislative agenda with respect to our lands and us.
So I would want to bring an organization and a process whereby our people, especially our young people, are enabled to begin dealing with this general state of oppression we are in and find a way where we can be as independent IN OUR THINKING as our grandfathers and grandmothers were in their day.
There is evidence amongst the young people of our lands that this spirit and thought is within them. The way we organize has to be part of the solution in encouraging them to use their energy and strength find solutions to the issues that face us today.
WWT: If you were elected Grand Chief, what legacy would you hope to leave behind after your term was over?
DS: I would be happy to leave the office with an improved governance process that provides effective decision outcomes, one that really helps our people address the issues that now threaten us as a people. I think we owe it to them to come up with one.
Lawrence Martin
WWT: What are the biggest issues facing NAN communities?
LM: Lack of financial resources to meet the appropriate needs in housing, education, health, social assistance, economic development (jobs), high price of goods and supplies - these result into compounded problems in all the sectors of the communities - social issues, drug use, suicides, overcrowding, displacement, drop outs in school, violence in the home, family breakups, loss of language, culture and traditions.
WWT: What is the first thing you would do to begin addressing those issues?
LM: I would recommend to the Chiefs, with the involvement of the communities, that we develop local, and regional strategic plans in all sectors with short, mid and long term plans.  As an overall strategy, I would bring forth a vision of moving our communities from a Third world condition to First. Each step of the planning process would be mapped out - communities NEED to develop protocols, agreements with each other on how to conduct business among themselves including the question of Traditional Lands and Boundaries - Once it is written It shall be done - thus formalizing our relationships, and our collective approach, NAN wide, to face and work with Ontario, Canada and the Resource Companies.  Three Nations working together - Cree, Ojibway, and Oji-Cree.
WWT: If you were elected Grand Chief, what legacy would you hope to leave behind after your term was over?
LM: I have six children and 15 grandchildren. I have spent time as the first People-Elected Grand Chief of Mushkegowuk Council; been elected three times as the Mayor of two non-native towns - Sioux Lookout and Cochrane - I was Executive Director for Wawatay, I worked at Weeneebayko Hospital as VP and Director of Communications and Community Relations, I managed the Friendship Center in Cochrane, and ran Misiway Health Center. I worked with Nishnawbe Aski Police. I was the first native person in Canada to win a Juno Award. I’m not worried about leaving a legacy, but I would like the opportunity to utilize my experiences I have gained throughout my life and various careers for the benefit of all our people. 
Terry Waboose
WWT: What are the biggest issues facing NAN communities?
TW: The most significant issue we face is the lack of control and the resources we need to meet the needs of our communities and our people. The external governments of Ontario and Canada hold us back by controlling our lives and our lands. Industry wants to take the riches from our lands, making billions of dollars for their companies while our people continue to live in poverty. Others have prospered while our needs are ignored. Many of our people, especially our youth, have lost hope for the future and are turning to drugs and alcohol.
WWT: What is the first thing you would do to begin addressing those issues?
TW: We cannot continue to be silent. The first thing we must do is set out clear paths for action – then take that action. We cannot allow Ontario and Canada to set the rules and expect us to follow them. We have a sacred responsibility to protect our lands for future generations. We must ensure that industry and government respect our Aboriginal and Treaty rights. We must give permission before any development occurs in our traditional lands. We can work in partnership with industry and government, but only as equal partners, and only for the benefit of our people and communities.
WWT: If you were elected Grand Chief, what legacy would you hope to leave behind after your term was over?
TW: I would like my legacy to be the Grand Chief who united our leadership, strengthened our communities, protected our culture, and helped build a better future for our people. I will do this by working with First Nation leadership to make decisions and take action to address the challenges our communities face. I will strengthen our unity by focusing on what we have in common, not on our differences – that is how outside governments divide us. Our strength comes from Treaty No. 9 and Treaty No. 5 which unite us as the Cree, Ojibway, OjiCree and Algonquin peoples of NAN.
Harvey Yesno
WWT: What are the biggest issues facing NAN communities?
HY: Poverty and hopelessness are most challenging due to inadequate community infrastructure, high unemployment, low education levels, unhealthy lifestyles and loss of our languages and culture. Today there is no economy to sustain our communities, however, with a clear vision, our hopes and dreams lie within our lands and our people that can be developed in an environmentally sustainable manner. We need to strengthen our families to have strong communities, strong leaders so that our Nation will be strong. Women will need to play a key role in unifying our people. A cord of three strands cannot easily be broken is Unity!
WWT: What is the first thing you would do to begin addressing those issues?
HY: Review what has already been established through declarations and resolutions; engage our membership both on and off reserve through the First Nations, Tribal Councils and NAN-wide and affiliated organizations; develop a strategy and design an action plan to be endorsed by the leaders. Re-prioritize our resources; seek domestic and foreign partners and government for resourcing to begin to implement the action plan towards a hope and a future for our youth. Build more capacity for our communities through education and training. Empower Youth by electing a Youth Grand Chief. Inclusion is very important and we will have Strength!
WWT: If you were elected Grand Chief, what legacy would you hope to leave behind after your term was over?
HY: My vision is for a Healthy and Prosperous Nation! We will achieve that through healing and restoration, strong families, vibrant languages and culture. Our decision making will be inclusive involving our past leadership. Honoring, respecting and supporting one another. Re-vitalize and restore the understanding of our forefathers with the governments that ‘as they prepared to sign (Treaty), believed that nothing but good was intended.’ Proclaim our Declaration of 1977 to the world! My hope is that as I served the people, I fought the good fight, walked the talk and added one more rung in the ladder of Success!