Timing of election, role of Confederacy of Nations to dominate AFN General Assembly

By Chris Plecash, Hill Times, July 14, 2014

First Nations leaders will determine the election date for AFN national chief at the organization’s general assembly in Halifax this week, but several other pressing matters will be on the agenda, including the role of the recently-revived Confederacy of Nations.

Chiefs from the country’s 634 First Nations will meet in Halifax on July 15 and 16, where they will determine the timing of the next election of the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations following Shawn Atleo’s resignation from the position on May 2.

Some chiefs will be advocating to hold an election as soon as possible, while others support holding the election in December to coincide with the organization’s special assembly. Another bloc is expected to argue in favour of waiting until next summer when the Chiefs-in-Assembly were originally scheduled to elect the next national chief in Winnipeg.

Rift among First Nations leaders over threat for ‘economic shutdown’ coast-to-coast

Idle No More protest temporarily blocks the Blue Water Bridge border crossing to the United States in Sarnia, Ontario, Jan 5, 2013.

Peter O’Neil, National Post/ Postmedia News, May 16, 2014

B.C. First Nations leaders distanced themselves Thursday from a formal threat by a group of aboriginal leaders to grind Canada’s economy to a halt.

A resolution from leaders claiming to represent the Confederacy of Nations, a regional entity that is part of the Assembly of First Nations, passed a resolution in Ottawa on Wednesday threatening the Harper government over education legislation.

Aboriginal Affairs minister calls chiefs ‘rogue’ and threats to national security

Federal minister of Aboriginal Affairs Bernard Valcourt.

By Jorge Barrera, APTN National News, May 16, 2014
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt moved aggressively to undermine the Confederacy of Nations Thursday, labeling the chiefs behind the organization as rogues who are “threatening” national security.