Favel new chief of FSIN

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Delegates of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations have elected Blaine Favel of Poundmaker First Nations as their new chief.

Favel replaces Roland Crowe of Piapot First Nations, who has headed up FSIN since 1986.

Favel, 30, is the youngest person ever to hold the organization's top position. He won convincingly over Crowe Oct. 20, garnering 418 of the 630 ballots cast.

The top priorities for Favel in his new job will be the protection and promotion of Treaty rights and dealing with the social issues that affect Indian communities across the province.

"We are in a state of hope. Our nations are re-building. We are healing ourselves. We have to address the issues of solvent abuse, alcoholism, family violence and build healthy families," he said in an interview with Ivan Morin for the Prince Albert Herald.

Favel has been chief of Poundmaker for the past two years and has a degree in education and law. He is concerned with the continual attack on treaty rights. He singled out taxation as an issue that is a particular threat to the treaties.

Crowe said the election loss marks the end of his political career. He plans to return to faming on his home reserve.

The two-day FSIN assembly was held in Saskatoon and attracted 1,000 people of which 658 were voting delegates. Allen Joe Felix of Sturgeon Lake was elected as a first-ever FSIN regional vice-chief to represent Saskatchewan at the Assembly of First Nations.