FSIN 2nd Vice-Chief David Pratt withdraws his candidacy for AFN National Chief | 24CA News
David Pratt from the Muscowpetung First Nation conceded his race for nationwide chief within the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) election on Dec. 7.
“The decision to concede is never an easy decision. I know a lot of our chiefs wanted me to keep going and pushing the fight. But I knew that it wasn’t doing our convention any good to prolong it,” stated Pratt.
“The issues are too important for us to hold back the next national chief from taking over.”
Pratt, who’s the second vice-chief with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), introduced his candidacy to run for AFN nationwide chief in mid-August, focusing his marketing campaign on restoring and rebuilding the nationwide group.
His marketing campaign themes included unity and inclusion, reconciliation and rights, financial empowerment and environmental stewardship.
Throughout the previous few months of campaigning, Pratt stated he realized loads concerning the Indigenous communities throughout the nation.
“I learned about your issues. I learned about the challenges that you’re facing,” he stated. “I learned about the different things that are happening within each of your regions and how you continue to fight against the Canadian state and their unjust policies and legislations.”
In his concession speech, Pratt congratulated Cindy Woodhouse, who’s the newly elected AFN nationwide chief.
“I want to tell our new national chief she has my 110-per cent support. Her success is all of our success,” he stated. “Let’s come together and let’s be the powerful AFN that we are, were and will be.”
Pratt didn’t concede as anticipated after the fourth poll, resulting in a tense dialog with Woodhouse on the ground of the conference centre in downtown Ottawa and one other spherical of voting.
He didn’t concede after the fifth or sixth, both, on the recommendation of his supporters who have been holding out hope he might mount a comeback, and after one other candidate, Sheila North, threw her help behind him in her concession speech.
But then Pratt conceded Thursday morning earlier than the vote at a particular chiefs meeting in downtown Ottawa headed right into a seventh spherical.
“I’m not leaving here mad or sad,” he stated. “We leave here united.”
In her acceptance speech, nationwide chief Woodhouse expressed how completely satisfied she and Pratt have been to have a protracted dialogue on the evening of Dec. 6 and the following morning.
“We came together in a good way,” she stated. “Because we have to work for you … this isn’t about us.”
Muskowekwan First Nation member Reginald Bellerose, chair of the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, additionally vied for AFN National Chief however was one of many two lowest-ranking candidates, who was dropped from the second poll.
— with information from The Canadian Press and Brody Langager
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