Arriving with party president Shawn Kayseas at Elections Saskatchewan, August 30, 2000. (photo from Global News)
Chapter Five: Making It Official
No sooner had my comments on the FSIN election appeared on August 22nd, than my phone was ringing again. The Leader Post's Murray Mandryk was calling to see how I was coming along with signatures. About eleven petitions had come in the mail since Buffalo Days, and with those additional signatures, I was only ninety signatures away from reaching 2,500. I told Mr. Mandryk that I would be in touch with him by the end of the week to announce the date we planned to hand all the petitions in to the Chief Electoral Officer of Saskatchewan. I remember my strategy that week- I was planning on driving to Moose Jaw to get over one hundred signatures in both Moose Jaw constituencies. My communications advisor Jeff Lowey did an interview with the Moose Jaw Times Herald to get the word out. As it turned out, the Saskatoon petitions would serve to take our total over the top.
On Saturday, August 26th, 2000, Murray Mandryk announced in the Leader Post that the First Nations Party of Saskatchewan was planning on applying for official party status on August 30th. I was in Saskatoon that weekend for two purposes. First, I needed to collect the Saskatoon petitions that were being filled by Sean Waskewitch, a Saskatchewan Indian Federated College student who was acting president of the party until a leadership meeting could be held. Secondly, I wanted to check out the Canadian Alliance caucus meeting at the Bessborough Hotel to inquire about where the party stood on aboriginal issues. I guess a third reason was to help my wife's sister move to her aunt's basement where she would be living while attending the University of Saskatchewan.
I had met 'Sean Waskewitch' (not his real name) at the Saskatoon SIFC campus on my way to Onion Lake one time. I gave a speech at the school and handed out petitions, and Sean volunteered to keep track of the petitions. I admired how calm and intelligent he was, and when I needed an acting president for the party executive, I called him up and he agreed to serve as president. Students at the SIFC were initially enthusiastic about the party and signed the petition, but during the summer break only Sean and his family remained actively involved. He, too, went door to door collecting signatures in his neighbourhood.
I never tried to collect signatures at Canadian Alliance events. There were very few aboriginal people at those events, and I knew they were most likely Sask Party members anyway. At their caucus meeting in Saskatoon that weekend, I passed out a flyer proclaiming that aboriginal involvement was vital to forming a national government. I pointed to Brian Mulroney’s 1984 election, in which the Progressive Conservatives captured 211 seats, including ones in the North. I explained that victory would only come to the Alliance with the broad support of a coalition between the West, Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes, and the North. I met many reporters who were excited about my party’s planned application for official status, and I told them to be in Regina on August 30th. Alliance leader Stockwell Day told me we'd talk once my party was made official.
Monday morning CBC Newsworld called. Nancy Wilson from Calgary wanted to interview me on "CBC News Today" about the party and our plans to become Saskatchewan's newest official political party. I explained that the official application date would be Wednesday, August 30th, and I suggested we wait until then to do an interview. However, her research staff explained that someone in Regina would cover that story on Wednesday and Nancy Wilson wanted to beat the pack and discuss the new party now- on national television! I confirmed some information with the research staff and made arrangements to be filmed in the CBC Saskatoon station for a live interview that afternoon. I was glad that I had brought a suit with me so I would look "official."
The week was getting very busy. There would be no time to go to Moose Jaw. I went to the CBC studios for the interview and raised my eyebrows when asked who would be running in the upcoming Regina Elphinstone by-election that was just announced following the resignation of NDP Deputy Premier Dwain Lingenfelter. I said I didn't know who would be running but conceded that I lived in the Regina Elphinstone constituency. The interview went well, and as soon as I got back to my wife's aunt's house, the phone was ringing again. Jo-Lynne Sheane was worried that I would be holding my press conference in Saskatoon on application day, but I assured her that I would be in her Regina on Wednesday. I've always admired Jo-Lynn's journalism with the CBC and have watched her career with interest.
My wife and I drove home to Regina with our kids that night, and I quickly counted all of the signatures on the petitions. I had over one hundred signatures in more than ten different constituencies, with more than four hundred in the northern Athabasca constituency alone. The total was over 2,500 so I was satisfied that I wouldn't have to go to Moose Jaw. On Tuesday, Dave Clinton's petitions came in the mail from Hudson's Bay and I phoned him to thank him for all of his support. Dave and his wife Trudy defended me to many of my critics and honestly believed that a First Nations Party in Saskatchewan would make the world a better place. They both admired my leadership and believed in my dream, which served to contribute further to my own delusions of grandeur, but also got me through some of my worst depressions.
My mood swings were getting increasingly out of control. I decided to re-apply to go back to the Canadian Bible College in September to finish my degree, hoping I could announce my return as further proof of my "leadership by example." In a massive miscalculation, I showed up at the Dean's office Tuesday afternoon in a buoyant mood, only to be met with further interrogation of my faith, lifestyle, and past activities. I was asked not only to apologize before an assembly of students for premarital sex and causing a media controversy, but also to sign a pledge recognizing the college's "spiritual authority" which could mean they were free to consult my wife about my personal matters. My buoyant mood quickly dissolved into paranoid accusations of the college being a cult that sought to reduce my son's birth into a shameful sin.
After much banging of my fist on the boardroom table and a few threats and swear-words, I stormed out of the meeting and drove home where I continued to rant about the "demonic cultists" at the college and how they were denying me of my treaty right to an education. Then I truly snapped; I began punching holes in a closet door while my wife tried to calm me down and my son screamed in confusion and began banging on the door with me. After a number of holes and damage to my hand I stopped and collapsed onto my bed in a deep sleep. Years later, a psychiatrist would diagnose such behavior as intermittent explosive disorder, which was common among brain-injury victims. I had suffered a skull fracture when I was dropped by a babysitter when I was only two months old. Violence has never been part of my family experience.
When I awoke, life was back to normal.
I wanted the signatures of the seven party directors on the constitution, which would be announced the next day at my press conference. The constitution was based on fourteen principles of First Nations culture and would serve as a guide for future First Nations Party policy. I had collected Leonard Iron's signature the last time I was in Saskatoon, and David Clinton and his wife Trudy had come down to Regina at one point to sign (and present me with a deer leg). 'Sean Waskewitch' had come from Saskatoon to Regina for the application process, so I would get his signature when I'd meet him at the elections office. A couple of friends had agreed to sign the document as founding directors but wished to serve only until a leadership meeting, scheduled within weeks. Their signatures completed the constitution, so I wrote up a press release announcing that I would submit our petitions to the Chief Electoral Officer the next morning and hold a press conference across the lake from the Legislative buildings. I programmed my computer to fax the press release to close to 200 numbers that included the FSIN in Saskatoon and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) in Ottawa.
On Wednesday, August 30th, 2000, I awoke early, showered quickly, and suited up. I had acquired a suit for every day of the week while I reported for CJME, and I love to dress up. The fact that almost all my suits were from Value Village was something I rarely mentioned, which led to some people's belief that I was either a millionaire's son or independently wealthy. How ironic, considering I never had more that twenty dollars in my pocket and was currently unemployed.
I made plans to meet Jeff Lowey for breakfast, so I quickly stopped by my mom's church to borrow a podium for my press conference. Jeff would be bringing an amplifier and microphone and I would meet him at the Wascana Bandshell where the press conference would take place. I arrived just before 9 A. M., and frantically called Jeff every five minutes inquiring where the hell he was! He was driving all over the city trying to locate the amplifier which belonged to his brother but was being used by his dad for a school musical production. I set up the podium and gazed over Wascana Lake to the Legislative buildings.
I could hardly believe that after months of going door to door, reserve to reserve, searching for signatures, I was finally victorious in my quest. I guarded the signatures in a large binder, organized by constituency, beginning with the two northern ridings where I collected the most signatures. Altogether, 39 ridings were represented out of a total of 58. Athabasca, Cumberland, Regina Elphinstone, and Regina Dewdney provided me with over 200 signatures each. The remainder contained about one hundred each, but there were a few that contained only a handful of names. The pile was over an inch thick.
Jeff finally showed up so we tested the microphone, then noticed the time. It was almost twenty after nine and my arrival at the elections office was scheduled for 9:30. We considered leaving the amp and microphone in place while we headed out but realized how stupid it would be to leave sound equipment unsupervised in public. We threw them in the trunk of my car (parked beside the bandshell) and hopped into Jeff's sportscar. I loved riding in Jeff's car because he drove it like a racecar, which appealed to my wild ways. He sped all the way to the Saskatchewan Elections office where we arrived right on time.
Media vehicles were already parked in the parking lot, as was 'Sean Waskewitch' and his girlfriend. Cameramen were already filming us as we got out of our cars to greet each other. Sean explained that the media didn't want to interfere in the moment but would rather leave questions until the press conference, so we proceeded silently to the front desk of the elections office where a staff member greeted us. "I have an application I'd like to hand in to the Electoral Officer," I explained as I laid the petitions on the front desk and signed the bottom of an application declaration. (My signing hand was scarred from my attack on the closet door the day before.)
Chief Electoral Officer Jan Baker appeared at the door of her office and I handed her all the paperwork. "I have an application here for you," I cheerfully explained. She accepted them, we shook hands, I smiled a big grin, and we turned around and headed out to our cars again. We were all somewhat speechless and wary of making any silly remark on camera, so we silently walked past the cameras, out the door, into our cars, and raced off to continue with our press conference. Jeff and I both found our silent parade quite amusing and both burst out laughing once his car hit the street. Oh well, we walked the walk- we could talk the talk at the bandshell.
With only minutes to spare, Jeff and I ordered Egg McMuffins at a drive-thru and arrived at Wascana Bandshell eating in the car. About a dozen reporters were waiting for our arrival and we regrouped with Sean and his girlfriend. Jeff greeted some reporters he knew and introduced me to them, and I continued greeting the reporters I already knew. As Jeff began to set up the microphone and amplifier, it was agreed our sound system was unnecessary. The media miked the podium with their equipment and Jeff began by introducing me. Of course, his eloquent introduction was laden with many adjectives including "heroic", "visionary", and "inspirational." Other than re-affirming our long friendship which dated back to elementary school, Jeff's time at the podium served no purpose because everyone there knew me already!
Jeff turned the podium over to me. I began with no chitchat. I simply spread the constitution out on the podium and started reading it aloud:
"The name of the political party is The First Nations Party of Saskatchewan, or First Nations Party, or FNP. The mission of the First Nations Party of Saskatchewan is to provide both a platform by which First Nations issues may be addressed and a vehicle by which the First Nations culture might be represented in Saskatchewan Legislative Assemblies." I used the plural 'assemblies' to create the potential for the party to operate within the FSIN, which regularly holds their own assemblies.
I continued: "The spirit and intent of this constitution is to preserve and promote Saskatchewan First Nations culture as the basis for a political movement. No aspect of this constitution shall contradict the spirit and intent."
"The First Nations Party of Saskatchewan is founded upon fourteen traditional principles of the First Nations culture." I listed fourteen principles that include honesty/integrity, obedience, respect/humility, truth, happiness, love, spirit-centered faith, family honour, health, gratitude, kindness/sharing, strength, the wisdom of traditional beliefs, and hope. The constitution summarized each principle with a sentence. For example, statement number one was: "Positions of leadership require honesty and integrity." Likewise, statement number three was: "All people are to be afforded respect and dignity by those who govern them." Statement number seven was: "Knowledge of our Creator and expressions of faith are vital to maintaining a healthy culture." Number fourteen was: "Regardless of the challenges ahead, hope shall never be deprived of the people."
I continued reading through clauses describing membership, leadership, the board of directors, administration, constituency associations, and democratic determination. The constitution was signed by founding directors Leonard Iron, David Clinton, Donna Lewis, myself, Lee Sanders, Derek Leverington, Chad Eros, and witnessed by secretary Jessica Leverington.
Upon finishing the constitution, I launched into a speech about my crusade to create the party. While rambling and quite direction-less, I managed to provide the media a few good sound bites. "I will admit that I was under the impression that I could get 25 hundred signatures over the weekend at a pow-wow," I told Jo-Lynn Sheane when asked whether I was prepared for the months long quest I undertook. When asked what issues my party would try to address, I listed "issues such as unemployment, poverty issues, the care of the family, child services, social services, taxation, justice, transportation, hospitals…"
I grew emotional as I recounted my experiences walking through the hood and seeing so many beautiful people struggle through poverty and hopelessness. "These are situations and experiences that break my heart," I told them, fighting back tears. "The First Nations culture is working overtime to foster care, love, and nurturing," I exhorted with my voice trembling with emotion. Jo-Lynn Sheane asked me about one of the specific principles that was not your average political fare. Number nine was "It is vital for health and hygiene to be maintained at all times," touching upon health in a new light. I explained that "it is my hope that the First Nations Party of Saskatchewan can change the way in which Saskatchewan is run as a province, and change the environment in which our people are being brought up and living in."
In the midst of taking questions I noticed my mom and sister were there with my wife and kids. They had arrived while I was reading the constitution. The air was crisp and the grass was glistening with the raindrops of rain that fell earlier that morning. The sun was shining, though. In my memory, it was a beautiful sunny summer's day, filled with hope for the future and pride in achievement. Whether or not the sun was truly beating down like a beach day, when I recall how I felt at that press conference, I often believe I was offered a taste of heaven.
The press conference wrapped up and the reporters left one by one, with my friends and family soon to follow. Jeff, Sean and his girlfriend remained, hoping to get an opportunity to speak with reporters. Sean was acting president and he contributed much of his time and energy to collecting signatures, but I neglected to even introduce him. The fact that he and his girlfriend had come down to Regina from Saskatoon and had rented a hotel room for the occasion only served to make the slight even worse. Sean would make his displeasure known to all in the months ahead, though.
Eventually I was left alone at the Bandshell, just me and my car with a podium in the back seat. I cherished the occasion and took some time to collect my thoughts. We did it! All the months of frustration and depression over the enormous task I volunteered to do were vindicated by the pride I felt that I was a man of my word. I didn't give up. Countless people doubted the party would ever become official, or was even worth the effort. Others openly criticized me because of my mistakes, but I did it. With the exception of my wedding day and the birth of both my children, August 30th, 2000 was the most fulfilling day of my life. I said I would do it, and I did.
My next stop was Regina's CTV studios where I appeared live with Tom Brown to discuss the news of our application. Nelson Bird was already preparing a story for the suppertime news. FSIN Chief Perry Bellegarde again made comments unsupportive of the party. Chief Bellegarde told Global News, "Our Elders are always saying, you know, when you get involved in a different system of government, when you get involved in something that's foreign to our system, you know, what impact does that have on our sovereignty and jurisdiction?" I would argue it extends our sovereignty and jurisdiction, but I’ll leave that to new generations.
I taped the suppertime news and that's how I was first introduced to University of Regina political science professor Joyce Green. She was interviewed by both Global and CBC, and correctly pointed out that "aboriginal people are more politically sophisticated than simply wanting to see someone just like themselves." She felt aboriginal people would like a person with "clear policies, a clear ideology, a public agenda, and some kind of blueprint for what they would do differently… in government or opposition." Professor Green went on to encourage the new party to "appeal broadly because in a democracy, of course, this is a numbers game." Of course, this young leader's sensibilities were somewhat trod upon, and my wife and I both laughed and asked, "Who is this woman, and why is she raining on our parade?!"
You can imagine our surprise the next day to receive a message from Ms. Green inviting me to be a guest lecturer for one of her first-year political science classes! I called her back and accepted the offer. She asked for some biographical information, so I wrote up a quick bio explaining that before creating my own party, I was a volunteer with the Saskatchewan Party (and had worked for Saskatchewan Education, Saskatchewan Highways, and Saskatchewan Property Management before that). Later that day, Ms. Green called to confirm that I would be the guest lecturer on Monday, September 11th, 2000 for her Poli-Sci 101 class. Imagine! Just a year before I was flunking out at the U of R, and now I was a guest lecturer.
Now all I had to do was wait. It would take some time for the Chief Electoral Officer to confirm the signatures on the petitions, and Jo-Lynn Sheane had even inquired what I would do if not all the signatures were deemed valid. I waited the weekend out and began to get worried. And depressed. The high of application day soon became a real low for me as I waited day to day. If even one hundred signatures were found to be invalid, we would be denied official status. Party director Vern Lewis joked that we should have signed all the petitions with "x"s like the treaties! After a week of waiting I was so depressed I’d rarely get up in the morning.
A week to the day of our application, my wife told me I had mail from the Chief Electoral Officer. I crawled out of bed and looked at the envelope. I feared it was bad news, and opened it in the doorway of our apartment. "This letter serves as notice of registration, pursuant to subsection 225(1)(b)(ii) of The Election Act, 1996 (the "Act"), of the First Nations Party of Saskatchewan as a registered political party in the Province of Saskatchewan, effective September 5, 2000." It was official! My wife and I rejoiced and I phoned friends and family to announce the news. I ran down to the office of our apartment complex and faxed a copy to the media.
The letter was dated Tuesday, September 5th and I had received it Wednesday. On Thursday, the Leader Post announced it in the paper and it was filed with Canadian Press, so it became national news. CBC Newsworld replayed the "In Focus" segment by Steve Pasqualotto- it even became a feature segment on their "CBC News Real" children’s program. An educational discussion guide accompanied it on their web-site, so grade sevens all over Canada could discuss the First Nations Party at school. One of the acting directors of the party emailed me the link.
The next day, Friday, was our leadership meeting in Regina. I decided to hold the meeting smack-dab in the middle of the Regina Elphinstone constituency, which was still waiting for a by-election to be called to fill the seat of former Deputy Premier Dwain Lingenfelter. I approached a bar owner in "the hood" (inner city Regina where poverty was rampant) and asked if we could hold our meeting in his establishment. He agreed, hoping it would bring in customers.
It didn't. Six people showed up, which included a reporter and myself. Dave Clinton came down from Mistatum, Leonard Iron came all the way down from Canoe Lake Cree Nation, my childhood friend Chad Eros was there, and Liberal Aaron Bar arrived after the media left. CJME sent a reporter, so we nominated each other to our desired positions, voted for one another, and had a beer. I was acclaimed leader, Dave Clinton became president, and his wife Trudy was elected secretary in absentia. Leonard Iron and Chad Eros remained on the board of directors, as did Vern Lewis, who was elected in absentia. Three seats on the board remained vacant.
Liberal Aaron Bar met me outside the bar as I was leaving. He was concerned about the party looking like a bunch of drunks but was curious to see how the new party was coming together. He also told me his partner, Reena Sinclair was also interested. Reena was organizing for Saskatchewan Liberal leader Jim Melenchuk and had a reputation for efficiency. Her brother, Warren Gervais, and instructor at Saskatchewan's Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (SIAST), was interested, too. Aaron provided me with all three of their numbers and told me to call them.
My call to Warren Gervais resulted in an invitation to speak to a native studies class at SIAST. I suggested September 11th after my engagement at the University of Regina. I wrote up a press release announcing my U of R and SIAST dates, and I felt encouraged that the party was attracting such interest.
On my way to the Poli Sci 101 classroom, Sarah McQuarrie, who was delighted to meet me and wanted an interview after the lecture, met me. My lecture went well. I focused on the party's constitution and the cultural principles that served to guide yet undetermined policy. My interview seemed to go even better. Sarah was very well prepared. I answered all the questions candidly, even when she challenged me about holding a membership in a right-wing party, the Canadian Alliance. I still didn't recognise how inappropriate my association with Stockwell Day seemed to many.
My meeting with Warren Gervais' SIAST class went great. Gervais was a charismatic, enthusiastic instructor who photocopied the constitution for all of his students and turned our discussion into a brainstorming session. His students could see the electoral potential of the party and the freedom we had to set policies that weren't confined to left-right ideological debate; We were free to set policy based on cultural principles that transcended politics and could create common ground with all demographics. The hour flew by with the chalkboards becoming full of illustrations and ideas put forth by many students and myself. I promised to return in a couple weeks and keep Warren Gervais and his class in the loop.
The next day, a Tuesday, I was faxed a copy of a newspaper article by Fraser Needham of the La Ronge Northerner. Entitled "First Nations Party gathers steam," it was optimistic about the party's prospects in the two northern constituencies. (Both Athabasca and Cumberland yielded the largest number of signatures in the petition drive.) The ridings were currently represented by NDP cabinet ministers Buckley Belanger and Keith Goulet, who raised suspicions in the article about my previous involvement with the Saskatchewan Party. "I need to know who Brendan Cross is," Belanger stated. "It would be interesting to know where their money is coming from," Goulet suggested. Belanger was even more specific: "Is (Cross) a member of the Saskatchewan Party? Is he funded by them?"
The article was brought to my attention by Missinipi Broadcasting newsman Kelly Provost. Kelly phoned me to play a tape of an interview he had just conducted with both cabinet ministers, in which they echoed their suspicions. "Just giving you a heads up," Kelly said. I decided to give a heads up to James Parker at the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. I faxed James a copy of the article and he phoned me the next day for a comment. "I think this shows the NDP is quite concerned about us. Lots of the people who signed our petition (to become an official party) were from the North," I explained.
James suggested the ministers' comments might even be considered libel. He said he would contact the Saskatchewan Party for their comments, too. I agreed it was a good idea, said goodbye, and made little fuss about it after that.
Not the Sask Party, however. General Manager Tom Lukiwski responded by threatening to sue the two cabinet ministers unless they retracted their remarks. "Sask Party wants NDP apology" read the headline Friday, September 15th, with Lukiwski saying the ministers' comments are especially damaging because former Manitoba Premier Gary Filmon's Progressive Conservatives financed aboriginal candidates in an election to siphon off votes from the NDP in 1995. (The conservative government was toppled.) "The implication is quite clear that in some way we are backstopping them," Lukiwski contended.
Now this was a theory that refused to go away. My involvement with the Saskatchewan Party and the Canadian Alliance identified me as a conservative, which made many aboriginals uncomfortable. Although I identified myself more closely with Joe Clark (my dad's mother was a Clark), or with moderate policies like those of Brian Mulroney (who called the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples), the damage was done.
Was the Saskatchewan Party financing the First Nations Party? No. Our funds (which only amounted to about four hundred dollars in the bank) were from aboriginal and Metis supporters around the province. Would the Saskatchewan Party benefit from an aboriginal party in an election? Perhaps. Only if the aboriginal wings of the NDP and Liberal parties switched their allegiances, weakening the support of both parties. However, my goal was to attract support from aboriginals, the Metis, the French, and those in poverty. Many of these disenfranchised people would be first-time voters who would not affect the support of the NDP or Liberals, and the potential always existed to win in key ridings.
I believe in democracy and I believe that the more political parties there are, the better. It fosters an environment where people condition themselves to vote, combating the alarming decrease in voter participation we've experienced across Canada over the last twenty years. Diverse populations deserve diverse representation. The logic that the First Nations Party "split the vote" could be applied to any party beyond a two-party system. Was the NDP splitting the Liberal vote? Was the Green Party splitting the NDP vote? Was the Marijuana Party splitting the Green vote? Was the Western Independence Party splitting the right-wing vote? No. They are all representing their own unique demographic in identifiable coalitions. At the end of the day, it is the party with the largest share of votes that wins, which doesn't necessarily have to be more than fifty percent- in an election with more than two parties.
On Thursday, September 21st, 2000, Sarah McQuarrie's article was published in the University of Regina's "Carillon" newspaper. With the headline "Brendan Cross at the U of R," and featuring a full-sized photograph of me from my web-site, the article included my admission that I held a membership in the Canadian Alliance. Readers of the paper reacted immediately. Students sent me emails questioning why I would support Stockwell Day, and messages were left on my phone expressing shock and disbelief.
Warren Gervais left me a particularly angry message, calling Day every bad name in the book. I was scheduled to speak to his class the next day, Friday, September 22nd. When I arrived, Gervais and I had it out in the hallway. I explained I was an Alliance "tourist" but we could find no common ground. Gervais disassociated himself from the party and threatened to call Murray Mandryk (who he called "Mandrake") of the Leader Post.
It wasn't necessary because James Parker called that afternoon and told me someone had already sent him the article. I had been a member of the Saskatchewan Party. I was a current member of the Canadian Alliance. I also claimed to be on the Liberal Party membership list. "What’s going on?" James asked. I explained that in high school I joined the Liberal Party after hearing leadership hopeful Ron Osika speak in my neighbourhood. After voting for his leadership, I neglected to participate politically with the Liberals thereafter, but my name was still on their mailing list. Yes, I was a Sask Party policy volunteer, but gave up my membership upon creating the First Nations Party. Concerning the Canadian Alliance, I joined to educate myself on how to create a new political party, which led to lively discussions with their members, including Opposition Leader Stockwell Day.
James asked me whether my involvement in other parties weakened my leadership of the First Nations Party. I pointed out that I was just exploring my options. Liberal leadership contender Ron Osika was now a cabinet minister in Roy Romanow's NDP-Liberal coalition. Former federal Conservative leader Jean Charest was now leader of the Quebec Liberals. The First Nations Party didn't have a federal counterpart, so I was trying to influence the Canadian Alliance. I even suggested "infiltrating the Liberal Party or possibly jumping into the NDP." I've always considered merging with another party and effectively becoming its aboriginal wing. "We can't stand back and allow policies to be developed that are abhorrent to aboriginal people," I argued.
James Parker's article was carried in Saturday's Leader Post and Star Phoenix. FSIN Chief Perry Bellegarde was asked what he thought and characterized my right-wing associations as "a little odd," contrasting it with his own style. "He's sending a mixed message here. At least I'm consistent." Again, emails came in from all over the province. Director Leonard hit the airwaves up north defending my Alliance involvement as nothing more than "morbid curiosity," and left it at that. Former president 'Sean Waskewitch' disassociated himself from the party by writing a letter to the Saskatoon Star Phoenix under his real name, Shawn Kayseas. I didn't make the connection and phoned him for his opinion. He told me it could be found in the paper. In his letter, Kayseas suggested I "think hard about how far the support of (my) family and friends can take (me)." Ouch!
The criticism came from all corners. La Ronge Northerner editor Scott Boyes ran an editorial on October 11th criticising the First Nation Party as a "special interest party." Boyes endorsed NDP cabinet minister Keith Goulet as a politician practising "the politics of inclusion" and wrote the First Nations Party off. I fired off a rebuttal suggesting neither Boyes nor Goulet understood that the First Nations Party was built upon a cultural foundation.
"While I am familiar with Mr. Goulet's distinguished career, I tend to feel his cultural background could be better expressed by our new party than by the New Democrats. The First Nations Party of Saskatchewan is based on a(n aboriginal) culture which has thrived for thousands of years. A culture is a system that supports life and nurtures growth; a culture excludes no one. The New Democratic party is based on an economic ideology that hasn't even existed for even one hundred years. Socialism can never replace First Nations culture in addressing the needs of any or all people living in this province."
I closed with a jab, criticising both Boyes' and Goulet's lack of balanced research. "The First Nations Party of Saskatchewan is new, but I sincerely wish that those hoping to be considered an expert on the First Nations Party would take the time to check out what we are all about before presuming to have all the answers." My suggestion could very well have applied to myself and my knee-jerk associations with right-wing political parties.
Clearly my flirtation with the Canadian Alliance came at a great cost to my credibility, with little or no benefits. I was preparing to meet Stockwell Day in Moose Jaw the coming Friday and my mind was already made up- If there were no measurable results from my consistent suggestions to accommodate aboriginals in his party, I would cancel my membership in a very public way.
