Jamieson won't run for second term

Page 10

Canada's most populous First Nation will have a new chief on Nov. 20. Chief Roberta Jamieson announced in early October she will not seek a second term as chief of Six Nations.

The former Ontario ombudsman and the first Native woman in Canada to earn a law degree ran second to Phil Fontaine in the July 2003 campaign for national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). Her announcement changes the local and national political landscape.

Reached by phone on Oct. 20, the retiring chief said speculation that she was being forced out of office was not based in fact.

"No, I decided that my job is done and that there are other leaders that are capable and talented and it's their time," she said. "I'm very proud of what we've done as a community. I'm very proud to have been the leader during this period, but it's time to step back."

During her three years as chief, Jamieson fired several long-term band employees and challenged other prominent community members, compiling an extensive list of enemies. At the national level, her outspoken opposition to the First Nations governance act did not win her any friends in former Indian Affairs minister Robert Nault's office or among chiefs who favored that legislative agenda. She was also accused by the AFN's executive members of opposing Fontaine's agenda for personal political reasons.

Jamieson and nine of her 12 council members even challenged local media, filing a libel action against the Six Nations weekly newspaper Turtle Island News and its publisher Lynda Powless.

Jamieson admits she's taken on a lot of firmly entrenched empires within the Six Nations bureaucracy and earned the wrath of many prominent members of the community, but she insists she's not pulling the plug on her political career because she's not sure she can win. Jamieson says she's simply accomplished her goals as chief.

"Three years ago there were serious challenges in this community. People were concerned about the lack of accountability and transparency at the council level. There had been one failed economic development project after another. Demands for forensic audits, council house being locked, the community was very concerned about the local government, basically," she said. "A lot of people asked me if I would step forward given my background in law and as ombudsman to put my name forward and stand for election as chief. And after staying out of politics quite deliberately for 25 or 30 years, I decided it was my responsibility to step forward and work with the community in addressing these problems and getting us on the right track and I think I've done my job."

Jamieson says she's done her job at the national level as well. She and Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) President Stewart Phillip became the most visible and vocal proponents of the rights-based agenda when they organized an informal group of chiefs who called themselves the implementation committee.

"There's two things I need to say about that. One is, Six Nations, while we played a leadership role, we're not alone. There is a strong view amongst chiefs nationally that there is a need to be pro-active on the rights agenda. That was very clear to me in the days of the implementation committee and when I was drafted to run at a national level, I ran because of the issues. I was not satisfied with the position taken by either of the other two candidates and I felt I had an obligation and responsibility to not only speak out but step forward and I did. I think I did my job there as well. I mean, I know who won but there are voices out there, there are chiefs who are increasingly becoming vocal. Much younger chiefs, many more women, many more so-called professionals getting involved."

There is a clear attempt underway by some UBCIC members to replace Phillip with a less militant leader at an election scheduled at the end of October (past Windspeaker's production deadline) leaving the possibity that two fire-brands of the rights-based agenda will be missing from the next AFN confederacy to be held in Ottawa in December.

Jamison said that many young, educated and capable chiefs are emerging on the political scene.

"They're strong leaders and I have every confidence that they'll continue."

Jamison insists she's not stepping back from the issues.

"Just because I'm not running again as chief of Six Nations, it doesn't mean I'm going to fall off the face of the earth. I'm just taking on another role in my life," she said.

And rumors are swirling across the country about the soon-to-be-former Six Nations chief's next position.

"Yeah, I'm the governor general; I'm a senator; I'm a whole bunch of things," she said, laughing. "I have considered a number of options. I am about to make a decision. But out of the respect for the decision and the role I'm going to take up and the appropriate way of announcing it, I'm not going confirm anything at this point."

One rumor won't go away. Several well-placed sources say she's about to be named the successor to John Kim Bell at the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. Windspeaker contacted NAAF board member Len Flett on Oct. 26. He would not comment on the selection process but he did say the number of candidates for the position is down to four and the board expects to make an announcement in late November. He would neither confirm nor deny whether Jamieson was one of the four finalists.