First Nation leaders remember Ahenakew for activism

Former leader of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Lawrence Joseph says it is not fair for his friend David Ahenakew to be remembered for a few mistakes over his devotion to his friends, family, and community members.

“Every time they talk about Dave Ahenakew for the past 6 years, media regurgitates the same crap that they have regurgitated since that unfortunate incident occurred,” said Joseph about recent news articles that were published following the death of his friend and First Nations leader David Ahenakew on March 12.

The 76-year-old’s death was reported along with recollections of his notorious outbursts towards Jewish people. In December 2002, the former sergeant in the Canadian Forces told a health conference in Saskatoon that he was told the Second World War was created by Jews.

To make things worse, Ahenakew was quoted in a StarPhoenix article shortly after the conference as referring to Jews as a “disease” and expressed support for Hitler’s genocidal policies.

Joseph, who has considered Ahenakew a close friend for over 40 years, said it is unfair for the media to focus on, what Lawrence referred to as “his moments of indiscretion,” as opposed to his positive work as a First Nations activist and a devoted family man.

“He was married to the same woman for almost six decades,” said Joseph, who added that he was a wonderful father and was proud of all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In 1968, Ahenakew was elected Chief of the FSIN where he was celebrated as being a large part of pushing for the advancement of First Nations’ education while he remained in office for the next decade. In 1982, he was elected as the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

Joseph not only remembers how devoted Ahenakew was to his leadership role, he recalled him being one of the most accessible and welcoming leaders.

“What people do not know is his home was wide open to the public, for people who just wanted to come in and sit and chat,” said Joseph. “He would sit down and make coffee or tea and in many situations even prepare a meal.”

As an active leader in the FSIN from 1997 to 2009, Joseph is familiar with the public’s fixation on the mistakes of those who are in the spotlight.

Joseph said Aboriginal leaders tend to receive an even worse backlash than non-Aboriginal politicians.

“It’s frustrating because there seems to be no fair play when it comes to Aboriginal leaders,” said Joseph.
He referred to a non-Aboriginal Saskatchewan Member of Parliament who was accused of saying derogatory comments towards homosexuals.

“He made an apology and his peers gave him a standing ovation...Whenever the media talks about him they do not regurgitate the same crap that he apologized for,” said a frustrated Joseph.

Days after Ahenakew made the startling comments in 2002, he gave a tearful apology at a press conference in a Saskatoon hotel. The apology may have contributed to Ahenakew’s not-guilty verdict of wilfully promoting hatred against Jewish people during the February 2009 Provincial court decision.

Ahenakew was born in 1933 at the Sandy Lake Indian Reserve in Saskatchewan. After marrying his wife Grace in 1951, Ahenakew served in the Canadian Army for 16 years.

In 1978, he was awarded The Order of Canada for his dedication to the advancement of Indian rights.

“David Ahenakew will be remembered as a brave leader who dared to stand up for our rights as First Nations peoples and for his unwavering stand that we are all treaty people and that treaty trumps policy,” said FSIN Chief Guy Lonechild in a release days after Ahenakew’s death.