Attawapiskat – SPECIAL to NNL
Wacheya!
My name is Bruce Shisheesh, and I’m honoured to be running for the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief 2021 election.
- I’d like to thank my nominator; Chief David Nakogee, seconders Chief Leo Friday and Chief Shelton Oskineegish.
- I was born and raised in Attawapiskat, Ontario (James Bay Coast), and I’m also a former Chief.
- I speak the Cree dialect fluently and understand Oji-Cree, and Ojibway languages.
- I am married for 27 years with Jennifer, I have a son, grandchild, and am a family man.
EXPERIENCE
- I have experience, knowledge, and a deep understanding of community issues that we are facing.
- As a former Chief, the biggest challenge I faced was to stabilize our community during multiple crises.
- To resolve our challenges, I worked with the council, counsellors, health workers, NAPS, and community members; we stabilized the community.
- I have proven community leadership – I have a political background, community-level experience, grassroots knowledge.
- Government & business relations.
WHY I AM RUNNING?
- I want to improve the lives of First Nation community members.
- I have the skills and experience to make a real difference.
- I will bring a fresh leadership style, mindset, and approach to addressing and finding solutions to community issues.
MY PLEDGE
- I will work hard for you.
- I will respect all Chiefs, women, youth and elders who will have a voice at the table and be heard, treated with dignity, respected and represented.
- I will bring tangible results like treatment centres, clean water.
- I’ll be accountable & transparent.
- NAN will be proactive (not reactive) in communicating.
- I will hand back the AUTHORITY to the Chief and communities.
- I’ll advocate and fight for the Chiefs and communities’ needs.
- Lead by the “heart of the communities”.
- We will finish what was started by the previous leadership and respect and support all the current NAN projects and initiatives.
WHAT I HEAR ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FROM CHIEFS AND COMMUNITIES
- Treaty , Lands , Resources, Jurisdiction
- Residential Schools Genocide
- Community Wellness
- Housing, Homelessness, Addictions, Safety, Suicide, Poverty, Fire, Emergency Preparedness, Community Infrastructure, Water, Sewage issues, Violence, Racism, etc.
- Child Welfare, Healthcare Transformation
- Economy, Resource Development
- Infrastructure
- All-Season Access Roads
- I’m also hearing that communities would like to see a change in NAN’s priorities and to reconnect with Chiefs and the grassroots.
- NAN should be lobbying and advocating on behalf of communities, and focusing on the needs of the communities.
CAMPAIGN PLATFORM
- Governance for self-determination and upholding our treaty rights.
- Healthy Communities – Fight for our communities to receive the same level of quality of life and education that so many Canadians receive.
- Economic Development Priorities – Ensure fair and equal inclusion of economic and resource development opportunities, jobs, wealth and reduce the high cost of living.
- Building Infrastructure – Hold government accountable for our lacking infrastructure that is so basic to so many Canadians.
IN MY FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE
- I will work with the Chiefs to submit an official letter to end boil water advisories, housing crises, and the health crisis. It is the Federal Government’s fiduciary duty to provide basic human rights.
- Address the Residential Schools Genocide
- The discovery of the graves of all of the children impacted us all; the numbers will keep rising. I will strongly lobby and advocate on behalf of NAN First Nations, which undoubtedly are all affected, to urgently find and grant adequate resources to fully realize absolute truth and bring about complete reconciliation on the negative impacts of the residential school genocide and injustice.
- Reconciliation will require more than words and an apology about the injustice and effects on our people; the legacy of residential schools continues to disfigure Canada. The legacy exists to this day in the form of independence on welfare, social injustice, and the new residential school is child welfare. We will rise up above it.
- We will establish a task force to develop wrap-around services and treatment centres to deal with addiction issues.
- I will establish an action task force to revitalize our economic development strategy and include resource development and Nation to Nation opportunities (food security/distribution, housing, etc).
- Focus on teaching knowledge to First Nations on how to use building grants properly, purchase the right products that will last for years and explore innovative housing construction solutions and create a local workforce to build our homes.
- Organize a one-on-one Zoom call with each Chief to build relations and identify key priorities and actions. I will visit the communities throughout my term.
- Consult with Chiefs on the direction of NAN and explore how to build a strong grassroots presence in Ottawa.
CLOSING REMARKS
- By working together, we will build healthy, strong, and sustainable communities.
- It breaks my heart to see our future generation not receiving equal and fair opportunities compared to the rest of the country.
- And this is why I am so driven to be your next NAN Grand Chief.
- CONTACT INFO
- For more details, please visit my Facebook Page, contact me directly at 807 632-6455, or contact my campaign manager Roy Thunder at (807) 252-2817.
- Thank you for your time and consideration of voting for me as your next NAN Grand Chief.
Meegwetch!
Bruce Shisheesh
Candidate for Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief
