AFN's direction called into question

Page 6

Has Ovide Mercredi lost his mind?

Does he truly believe that by jumping on the sovereignty band wagon, he will breathe life into the Assembly of First Nations, an organization that continues to lose support and influence every day?

Does he really expect advice for this sovereignty endeavor from Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard, who time and time again has proven he is no friend to Indian nations?

Or is this just one more attempt by a beleaguered leader to leave his mark on Canadian history? If it is, it is a sorry attempt indeed.

Not only is "sovereignty" an ill-defined buzz word of the '90s, it is a mirage offered up to the community by leaders who have nothing substantial or practical to offer. Leaders who want to hide the fact that they have no concrete plan or direction for the future.

Mercredi will not get away with tugging at the emotional heartstrings of the people. He would be well-advised to make the best use of his last year as national chief and devote himself to rebuilding the AFN, analyzing its mandate, revisiting its reason for being and convincing Canada's Indian nations to continue to support it.

Mercredi has an obligation, not only to the people, but to the next leader, to leave the AFN in as good shape as he found it when he was first elected. At this time, it is not the organization he inherited from George Erasmus in 1992.

Mercredi has used his position at the helm of the AFN as a regular soap box in the mainstream media. He's the most recognized Native leader in Canada, at least to readers of the Globe and Mail and CBC listeners. He needs to make use of some of that profile now to save the organization he has led to the abyss.