On a sunny Saturday afternoon, representatives from the federal government came to Nuu-chah-nulth territory to offer an apology from Canada for the horrors the Nuu-chah-nulth people experienced at government- and church-operated residential schools.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, representatives from the federal government came to Nuu-chah-nulth territory to offer an apology from Canada for the horrors the Nuu-chah-nulth people experienced at government- and church-operated residential schools.

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In what many observers believe is a signal that a power struggle for control of First Nations political leadership has begun, Matthew Coon Come, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, told the chiefs on Dec. 13 that he is not willing to maintain the status quo.

The AFN has been haunted by questions about its effectiveness for years. Critics claim the national chief is forced to try and be all things to all chiefs in order to keep his position, providing little real leadership and even less representation for grassroots people.

Page 1

In what many observers believe is a signal that a power struggle for control of First Nations political leadership has begun, Matthew Coon Come, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, told the chiefs on Dec. 13 that he is not willing to maintain the status quo.

The AFN has been haunted by questions about its effectiveness for years. Critics claim the national chief is forced to try and be all things to all chiefs in order to keep his position, providing little real leadership and even less representation for grassroots people.