Next grand chief faces long road returning AMC to spotlight

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/01/2025 (312 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has faded into obscurity since the death of grand chief Cathy Merrick last September.

The representative body of Manitoba’s 63 First Nations has continued operating, of course. The organization continues, for example, to be the province’s primary partner in the search for the remains of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, and Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe (Buffalo Woman) at the Prairie Green Landfill and has also organized successful gatherings on First Nations membership and climate change over the past few months.

Acting grand chief Betsy Kennedy is doing an admirable job, but the fact is that, as a primarily lobbying and advocacy body, the organization isn’t the primary voice of First Nations in the province anymore.

Ask yourself, for example, if you’ve heard about its announcements, including criticism of the provincial plan to end chronic homelessness (Jan. 15); condemnation of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s patient advocacy unit (Jan. 14); or demands for Jordan’s Principle funding (Dec. 13; and emergency health care for the north (Dec. 12)?

Acting grand chief Betsy Kennedy is doing an admirable job, but the fact is that, as a primarily lobbying and advocacy body, the organization isn’t the primary voice of First Nations in the province anymore.

Meanwhile, regional entities such as the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, Interlake Reserves Tribal Council, and the Treaty One Development Corp. have filled ink, TV time, and social media feeds far more.

Well, there’s nothing like an election to steal some of that attention back.

The ninth grand chief in AMC history will be selected Wednesday by the chiefs of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

There are four candidates vying to lead AMC for the next three years. Two are well-known and have accomplishments as well as political baggage. The other two are largely unknown outside of their communities.

Best known is former Peguis chief Glenn Hudson, who led his community for 14 years and has a long track record on economic development, gaming, and treaty land entitlement. Hudson has endorsements from seven chiefs (chiefs are only permitted to endorse a single candidate each).

Hudson, though, led Peguis into a financial crisis when the community was sued for over $172 million over loans to an Ontario financial company. This was a large reason he was defeated by Stan Bird in the 2023 election.

Hudson, if elected, would be one of the older grand chiefs in AMC history at the age of 57. The oldest was Merrick, who started her term at 61 and notably told anyone who would listen, including me, that the job of AMC grand chief was relentlessly exhausting.

Also carrying political baggage is former Long Plain First Nation chief Kyra Wilson. Wilson served a truncated 20-month term as leader before a judge ordered a new election for chief due to a snow storm on the community’s election day.

During her short term, Wilson became a leading voice on searching the Prairie Green Landfill and on the issues of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, and child welfare. She also seconded the motion in the controversial and forcible 2023 removal of Assembly of First Nations national chief RoseAnne Archibald.

If elected, Wilson, 38, would become one of the youngest AMC grand chiefs in history. The youngest is Louis Stevenson, who was 37 when he started his term in 1987.

The other two candidates are both around the average age of previous grand chiefs (mid-40s) but have less experience and are far less known: former York Factory First Nation chief Leroy Constant and Sapotaweyak Cree Nation band councillor Bava Dhillon.

Constant, elected chief in 2018, helped lead the search for two fugitives from B.C. near the community in summer 2019. He also was a leading voice for northern health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dhillon, meanwhile, is a newcomer to politics but has some experience in business, having been owner of a pharmacy and car dealership.

He also helped bring awareness to potential unmarked graves of children at a residential school site in Brandon.

Constant and Dhillon are running nearly invisible election campaigns. They’ve released virtually nothing to the public: no platforms, statements, or promises.

This election presents an interesting choice between Generation X Hudson and millennial Wilson. It’s noteworthy that the average age of Manitoba chiefs is closer to Hudson than Wilson, and the organization has a history of electing male candidates.

Oddly, this doesn’t really matter since to be grand chief, one only has to win the majority of votes from 63 chiefs.

Front-runners Hudson and Wilson, the oldest and youngest candidates,

This election presents an interesting choice between Generation X Hudson and millennial Wilson.

It’s noteworthy that the average age of Manitoba chiefs is closer to Hudson than Wilson, and the organization has a history of electing male candidates.

It really depends on the speeches, promises, and negotiations on the AMC assembly floor.

Manitoba’s next grand chief faces a long road ahead to bring AMC back into the spotlight — and perhaps relevancy.

niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca