Grand Council Chief John Beaucage News Release ****************** Ojibways of Garden River FN (April 21, 2009) - A leading candidate for the office of National Chief is calling for empowerment of women in all areas of First Nations governance.
Ojibways of Garden River FN (April 21, 2009) - A leading candidate for the office of National Chief is calling for empowerment of women in all areas of First Nations governance.
During his keynote remarks at the Anishinabek Nation Citizenship Conference, Grand Council Chief John Beaucage announced "An Integrated Approach to Women's Issues" as part of his election platform for July's Assembly of First Nations (AFN) election.
Each area of Beaucage's 10-point election platform includes specific commitments to First Nations women about their involvement in what he calls a New AFN.
"In developing my policy agenda, I found a glaring need to address changes in our approach to women's issues within the current policy construct at the Assembly of First Nations," Beaucage told delegates at a conference discussing proposals for an Anishinabek Nation Citizenship Law to replace Indian Act system of band membership and "status".
"Although there has been a lot of effort in trying to address these inadequacies, more effort is needed to engage First Nations women at the highest level in a renewed attempt to deal with issues that are priorities for our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, aunties and daughters."
The Grand Council Chief also announced that the Co-Chair of his New AFN campaign will be Jeannette Corbiere Lavell, who led a landmark 1973 Supreme Court challenge of sections of the federal Indian Act that have since been declared discriminatory against First Nations women. In May, 2008 Beaucage appointed Lavell the first Citizenship Commissioner of the 42 member Anishinabek First Nations.
"Not only should we improve our focus on issues important to women
- including gender equity, family and children issues, and family violence
- but we need to ensure all issues addressed by the AFN take women's views into account," said Beaucage. "We need to encourage more women to be Chiefs, advisors and Elders within the Assembly of First Nations."
"I am truly honoured that Jeanette agreed to be a co-chair, because the importance of having a good voice for women's issues cannot be overstated. It was Jeanette who jumped forward immediately, just like she's stepped forward in the past to lead the fight against unjust treatment of women in the Indian Act."
Over the past 11 months, Corbiere-Lavell, a citizen of Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, led the community engagement strategy to develop an Anishinabek Nation law that will restore First Nations right to determine their own citizens. The law, originally proposed by Grand Council Chief Beaucage, will receive First Reading by the Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chiefs-in-Assembly in June.
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is the National organization representing First Nations in Canada. There are over 630 First Nation communities in Canada. The elected Chiefs from each First Nation will cast their vote to elect the National Chief in Calgary, Alberta on July 22, 2009.
Grand Council Chief John Beaucage is a citizen of Wasauksing First Nation, and has led the 42 member First Nations of the Anishinabek Nation in Ontario since 2004.
