Leaders shirk assembly business

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After all the noble words were said and done, it was the ignoble effort of the Assembly of First Nations' chiefs that will leave the most lasting impressions on the country and its people.

More than 300 chiefs who had traveled to Saskatoon for the election of their leader, found more important matters to attend to, one would have to guess, than to participate in the last day's business session.

The 21 resolutions, drafted with much care and attention to the needs of the people, were for naught. The lack of commitment from the chiefs left many disappointed, feeling that despite their troubles they had accomplished nothing.

These resolutions were made of weighty stuff and many needed immediate attention. The first regarded the settlement of Indian Veterans' entitlements. Resolution five asked the support of the AFN in a celebration to inaugurate the Decade for Indigenous Peoples. Others included the right to health, jurisdiction over education and the unsolved murders of First Nations people.

The apathy shown towards the resolutions put both the processes and function of the AFN into disrepute. 'If their own members can't be bothered, then why should we?' the Canadian people must be asking themselves. The gains the organization had made over the days of the election were eradicated in one morning. The AFN had proved itself to be a limping, impotent, wounded beast.

The people who made the effort to attend the session were greatly frustrated.

One woman suggested allowing the debate. Those who had made the effort to attend

the resolution session should be allowed to voice their concerns for their people, she reasoned. The process, she said (Roberts Rules of Order) was choking out the Native voice and was not the Indian way.

"We are assimilated," a man said in agreement.

But the point was moot. What was the point of discussion when the one man who could learn from the session did not bother to attend? The national chief, Ovide Mercredi, had promised change, had promised to listen to the people, but instead was napping in the Elders' lounge. He arrived in time for the closing prayer and a sheepish last walk around the assembly hall.

"Much is expected of a great leader," said James Bay Cree rand Chief Matthew Coon-Come. Is it too much to expect that if only one person were to attend, the session, that one person would be Mercredi?"

"Where is Ovide? Where is Ovide?" Coon-Come called.

Unfortunately, the resolution session was not all the business postponed that day. A discussion paper on self-government was to be debated. It's original place on the conventions's agenda was Tuesday afternoon. A last-minute change, on the urging of national broadcasters, moved up the candidate's forum and squeezed out the discussion paper. It was scheduled for Thursday, and ended up in oblivion.

All in all, it was a sorry day for First Nations people in Canada. So much talk, and no follow through.

At a time when the Reform Party is blocking the road to self-government and the Bloc Quebecois is threatening the annihilation of Quebec's Aboriginal peoples, this should be a time of great planning and determination.

Instead, we sleep.

In Wally McKay's speech to the assembly during the candidate's forum, he was emphatic that the AFN should resound in the heartbeat of the nations and that heartbeat should resonate with power. After the resolution session the AFN might do itself a favor and check to see if the organization even has a pulse.