News & Events
A Grand Chief must be comfortable playing different roles
May 31, 2010
Like so many other people, I am looking forward to the summer, which for us means going to lots of pow-wows. I enjoyed going to pow-wows long before I became a Grand Chief and am certain that I always will. The person I am as Grand Chief is the person I have always been.
With my first term as Grand Chief is coming to an end, now is an appropriate time to look back on the course we have taken as an organization during the three years since I was elected by the Chiefs belonging to SCO.
As Grand Chief, there are times when I dress in a way that has Traditional meaning. When dancing at a pow-wow, I wear beads and my dog soldier headdress. At an Indian summit I will wear my feathered headdress and moccasins. There are other activities, though, where I wear a suit-and-tie, which is the uniform of business.
A Grand Chief must move easily the Traditional world, as well as in the non-Indigenous environment of business and politics. Traditional values must guide us always. Our leaders have to be comfortable when working in the non-Native world, but we must never forget who we are.
During the last three years SCO hasn't shied away from the worlds of non-Indigenous politicians and business people. We have made important progress in both political and business arenas. This column repeats things I have written in the recent past, but some of the stuff is BIG - or has the potential to become BIG.
First, economic development is important for our Indian Nations and for our political organizations. Poverty is having a terrible impact on our people. It is hurting families and crushing the dreams of many of our youth - some are turning to gang life because they think gangs offer them their best shot at money and prestige. We know that gangs lead to a horrible way of life, so we must create jobs and opportunities so youth can see a promising future away from gangs.
Economic development is important for our Nations and our political organizations. If political organizations have sources of money other than the federal government, then they will find it easier to be bold in representing their Nations. I have never backed away from confrontation with government, but I want to make it so that every future Grand Chief will act the same way. As it stands, a political organization knows its funding could be cut in retaliation if the federal government gets angry.
One of the options SCO is pursuing is development of electricity using wind energy. We have been working directly with large power corporations in Canada, the United States and Asia. We have also talked with Indigenous electricity developers across North America and they have been generous in sharing knowledge that could help First Nations in Manitoba.
We are also looking at other business options, including Traditional alternatives to building jails and providing skills training that will create jobs and new economic projects. Economic development takes a lot of time, especially when it involves taking new approaches, but SCO is close to capitalizing on efforts that began a while ago.
Our demand for an environmental audit of Manitoba Hydro could also bring economic benefits. Manitoba Hydro must be held account for the environmental damage that has been done to Indian Nations as a result of decades of disruption to Manitoba's complex and inter-connected system of rivers, lakes, narrows and bays. There has been an impact on water tables and areas with trees. There must be financial and other forms of compensation.
Our ultimate goal is to have the federal and provincial governments held accountable for all of the damage to our land, water and air that occurred over many decades. We also want to see a Treaty audit conducted, to determine the losses to SCO First Nations in 140 years since Treaties began being signed.
Anyway, I will be a candidate again for Grand Chief when the election is held June 17. There are things that have begun, which I would like to see through to conclusion. But regardless of how the election goes, people will be seeing me on the pow-wow circuit, dancing, announcing, milling about and talking with people. I love to visit our communities.
Grand Chief is a title I will have for only three, six or nine years. My true identity is as a member of the Bear clan and my spirit name is May-nay-way-ash, which translates to Good Sounding One.
Grand Chief Morris J. Swan Shannacappo of the Southern Chiefs' Organization