WHITECAP DAKOTA NATION — In a show of force, more than 15 chiefs, various council members, Senators and Elders of different Saskatchewan First Nations supported the candidacy of Aly Bear for the top post of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.
Bear, elected the Third Vice-Chief three years ago, announced on Monday, Sept. 23, at the Dakota Dunes’ Tantaka Meeting Room that she’s seeking to become the second female FSIN chief after Kim Jonathan held the post interim from 2014 to 2015.
She will challenge incumbent FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron, who announced on Friday, Sept. 20, that he is seeking a fourth term at the Saskatoon Inn. He was first elected in 2015.
The 74 member nations will also choose the first and third vice chiefs in the election on Oct. 31.
Bear said the feeling she experienced surrounded by leaders of different nations and her family, including her two daughters, was unexplainable as she announced her bid for FSIN chief.
“I am not who I am without my family. As my father, Chief [Darcy] Bear, mentioned, I’ve gone through hardships and dark times where I didn’t know I would make it out alive. My ancestors were there, and I carried their wisdom and love. I come before you today with the same love that was given to me by my ancestors, kukum, and my family. With that same love, I announced my candidacy to run for the chief of FSIN. It's about time we come together to have moments like this,” said Bear, in the highlight of her 12-minute-long speech.
“I was having a hard time as the [FSIN’s] Third Vice Chief, being able to make enough movement and push to implement change that our people needed to see. And I know that our people desperately need change. Time is of the essence when it comes to all the issues and challenges that we face. And so, right now, we don't have that much time. Before climate change and the meth crisis worsens. Before missing and murdered Indigenous Peoples got worse. Before, over-incarceration rates got worse. The time is now, and we must step up and act.”
Bear, who earned her law degree in 2020 and was called to the Bar the following year, added that her decision is part of her deep commitment to the 74 member nations, the Treaties signed by their previous leaders, inherent rights, and the shared future of their people as she prepares to work with whichever party gets the chance to form a provincial government.
“We need strong leadership that is accountable to the Rights Holders and serves with integrity. My campaign is dedicated to ensuring that the voices of our Nations are heard and respected at every level. I believe in filling gaps. We need to work together; no matter what government is in office, we have to work with them, and they have to work with us. We need to make sure that we are accountable to ourselves so that we can hold them accountable for the actions and the injustices that are ongoing towards our First Nations people,” said Bear.
“Today, having the support of my chiefs gave me the hope that this vision of restoring the [FSIN] vision can come to fruition. We can achieve it together for the betterment of our future generations. We need to abide by our traditional protocols and values. One of that is honesty and truth. With honesty and truth, we can regain trust. That's important moving forward. I want my people to trust me. I want to work for the nations, and I want to be transparent with all of the nations and, you know, serve them equally. What I hope for our nations is that we can work together. Because we all have different skill sets, whether individually or with our nations, but if we work together and share our knowledge, we can uplift each other instead of competing.”
