ONTARIO – There were six candidates on the ballot to replace retiring Assembly of First Nations Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald of Taykwa Tagamou Nation during the Assembly of First Nations Ontario regional annual general meeting held last week through virtual conferencing—but it was Glen Hare of M’Chigeeng who won the position on the fifth ballot.
The Expositor caught up with the new Ontario regional chief while he was participating in Indigenous Day celebrations in Sheshegwaning.
“I was a bit nervous,” he admitted, “you never know when you go into an election. But I am truly grateful for the confidence placed in me by the chiefs. Miigwetch for the leadership for having the confidence in me.”
Regional Chief Hare said that job one for him heading into the next three years of his term will be unity. “Three years goes fast,” he said. “But I want to see us standing on common ground.”
He went on to note that he wants to meet with the premier and prime minister face to face, not with bureaucratic underlings. “For too long we have had people standing in between and the message is not getting through,” he said. “We need to be the ones making the decisions for our people. Right now, they can still do what they want. I don’t want that happening anymore.”
“I am also honoured to have a seat at the national level representing Ontario at the Assembly of First Nations,” said Regional Chief Hare. “I am happy to be representing Ontario at the national level. Let’s get things done.”
