BELLEGARDE RETURNED AS NATIONAL CHIEF

But even before the results of the first ballot was announced, candidate Russ Diabo was sounding the alarm on Crown-Indigenous relations Minister Carolyn Bennett meeting with the Alberta caucus of chiefs and proxies early Wednesday.

“That federal minister coming into our annual assembly and interfering with our vote by meeting with specific groups over this pipeline issue. They have been dividing our people since the beginning of this debate,” said Richardson in reference to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion that has divided nations and led to mass arrests of people who oppose it.

Both Diabo and North were critical of Bellegarde’s relationship with the Liberal government Tuesday in speeches to the chiefs and proxies.

Bellegarde defended his record and said the AFN helped influence federal budgets that have seen $17 billion in funding directed to Indigenous people since Justin Trudeau was elected in late 2015.

The AFN’s budget under Trudeau also nearly tripled from $13 million to $32 million in the last fiscal year ending March 2018.