Yesno elected NAN Grand Chief

Harvey Yesno has been elected new Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN).
Yesno won by one vote over Terry Waboose on the third ballot. Yesno received 22 votes to Waboose’s 21 votes.
In his victory speech, Yesno stressed the importance of unity amongst communities and chiefs.
“We need to be united,” Yesno said. “There’s no way to do it otherwise. We need all of you to stand together, so that our children will have something to look forward to in the future.”
The new executive council of NAN was finalized on the evening of Aug. 15 with the election of the deputy grand chiefs.
Incumbent Les Louttit of Fort Albany was returned to the council with 24 votes. Former deputy grand chiefs Alvin Fiddler of Muskrat Dam and Goyce Kakegamic of Keywaywin led the way in voting with 39 and 34 votes.
As Grand Chief, Yesno replaces former grand chief Stan Beardy, who stepped down in June after being elected Regional Chief of Ontario.
Prior to being elected, Yesno served as the Ontario government’s director for Aboriginal and Community relations for the Ring of Fire.
He has previously been the executive director of the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund, served as chief of Eabametoong First Nation for five terms and was involved in Grand Council Treaty No. 9, which later became Nishnawbe Aski Nation, in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Yesno told the chiefs gathered in Kashechewan that the birth of Nishnawbe Aski Nation is still in its early stages.
“I think it is important that all of us express new ideas and new horizons to reach for,” Yesno said. “We need to get our people more involved in the process.”
He also spoke about the need to get youth educated and involved in the process of governance.
Before the election Yesno told Wawatay News that he would look to establish a NAN youth grand chief if he were elected.
“We need to keep offering hope in the future, positive things that will inspire our young people to stay alive,” Yesno said.
Mike Metatawabin was eliminated on the second ballot, after receiving 12 votes compared to Yesno’s 16 votes and Waboose’s 15 votes.
Brian Davey, Lawrence Martin, Doug Semple and David Neegan were eliminated after the first ballot.
In the deputy grand chief elections, Teressa Hall of Attawapiskat and Pierre Morriseau of North Caribou Lake were eliminated on the first ballot.
Louttit returns to the executive council after spending the last term holding the housing and infrastructure portfolio as well as the economic development portfolio.
Fiddler spent two terms as deputy grand chief from 2003 – 2009 before running for grand chief in 2009, an election he narrowly lost to incumbent Stan Beardy.
Kakegamic served for three terms as deputy grand chief from 1997-2006 before stepping away from NAN politics for two terms.