National Native party proposed

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The proposed First Peoples' National Party holds its first strategic planning conference in Sault Ste. Marie on Oct. 15 and 16.

The meeting to discuss the fledgling political party is the brainchild of Kathryn Skov and her cousin Tyrone Souliere from Garden River First Nation, who are trying to resurrect an old idea that periodically is raised in Indian Country.

Skov, who describes herself and Souliere as "grassroots people" believes they are overdue to form a federal political party consisting of Aboriginal candidates.

It's often talked about, but many Native people still are wary about participating in the Canadian political process Skov told Birchbark on Oct. 5. She said she notes some progress, however.

Skov pointed out that prior to the June 2004 federal election the Assembly of First Nations national chief had encouraged Aboriginal people to come out and vote for the candidate they thought was best.

"Here in my reserve, (participation) went from, I think, from 20 or 50 people to over 200 people who voted," said Skov, "and I went 'Wow,' that's just in my First Nation, people who were interested in voting in the federal election, so there's got to be interest amongst our First Peoples to vote and make a change."

Statistics Canada figures from 1991 reported 29 ridings where the Aboriginal voting population is 5,000 or more.

Skov said she and Souliere had been discussion the idea of a Native political party and "we just started talking to other people and (conversation came around to) having a meeting here in Sault Ste. Marie."

As a result of "word of mouth, mostly" they started to hear from others from "across Canada, who are of First Nations descent ... people who are on the same mind set."

Skov previously has worked for the Assembly of First Nations and for the Department of Indian Affairs.

She added they have no desire to displace the Native political organizations that are already doing valuable work on behalf of Aboriginal people.

They have explained what they are attempting to do to Garden River Chief Lyle Sayers and have issued an invitation to him to attend the meeting.

Co-ordinators Skov and Souliere estimate that Aboriginal people can hold sway in 65 to 80 federal constituencies where they say they make up the majority of the population.

"Consider the possibilities if we participated fully in the next federal election and voted en-masse for our own political party," they stated in a release advertising the meeting.

"As a people, we need to redeem the rights and privileges that were taken away from us, make sure our rights that remain are protected and ensure that our treaties and agreements are honoured by the federal government. The First Peoples National Party can make this happen," Kathryn Skov said. She added they expect the first meeting could have mostly Ontario and Manitoba representation, but they want to include Native people from across Canada, whether Metis, Inuit or First Nations.

Co-chairmen of the meeting in the Sault will be Jerry Fontaine and George Munro.

Skov said she had heard Fontaine had been involved in provincial and Native politics in Manitoba.

"I'm not sure of the particulars there ... but I just heard in the wind that he had done something like that and that's why I called him and asked him if he was interested in talking about getting something together nationally. So we're just grassroots people getting together and seeing where we can go with this."

Fontaine was chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation in the 1990s and is the nephew of current Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine.

Jerry Fontaine has been involved in Manitoba provincial politics since the 1980s and ran for the leadership of the Manitoba Liberal Party in 1998.

He was chief of Sagkeeng when a deal to have Wing Construction Limited construct a band school went sour because of unpaid bills, resulting in Wing initiating a $2 million lawsuit. The mattr has been reported extensively in our sister publication Windspeaker.

Delegates to the Sault Ste. Marie conference will plan a structure for the new organization, select a party leader and officers and discuss national registration of the party and related matters.

"If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it didn't," said Skov, who stressed the importance of "letting people know how important it is to vote in the federal election.

"Because by not voting you're silent and agreeing to what the Parliament is saying, what the federal government is saying ... if you're not within, how do you know what's going on?"

Skov can be reached at 705-253-7800 and Tyrone Souliere can be reached at 705-759-8088 for more information.