Friday, 2 September 2011

FSIN - Guy Lonchild

Well, it never fails to amaze me how people with political ambitions can ruin something.  You see Guy Lonechild, even with his few faults had done more for the FSIN than anyone in the past.  Let's face it, in the past there were a long list of leaders within the FSIN with more of a checkered past than Guy ever had.  He made a mistake and owned up to it, but that cannot overshadow all that he has accomplished can it?  I think this was nothing more than someone else wanting his job and willing to do anything to force him out, time will tell if I am right but once this plays out I think we will see one of the chiefs that forced him out standing on the podium.

I have known Guy for many years, from his days down at the White Bear Indian Reserve, many days would be spent talking politics and you could see something like this was in his future.  He had the ability to express his feelings on any situation and always seemed to have that calming influence on people that a leader really needs. 

When it comes to Indian politics I think there is a lot that we don't understand, it is still something that is evolving and under Guy's leadership they made great strides in becoming a legit political force.  It is just too bad that a few outspoken people had to get in the way, my only hope now is that this move doesn't set back the FSIN a generation by another round of leadership failures like they have had in the past.

Have we seen the last of Guy Lonechild in native politics?  I hope not and many of the people that know him hope not as well.  he has so much to offer and could have continued to do great things for his people.  Maybe Guy just needs to step back for a few years before resurfacing a stronger and healthier leader and be able to prove all his naysayers wrong once and for all.  There will be some who will say he got a great deal to walk away, anyone who knows Guy can without a doubt say that this is not what he wanted, he wanted to be able to lead his people and make a difference in the lives of everyone under the FSIN banner.

Guy Lonechild deserved better treatment from the Chiefs, and the people of the FSIN deserve better leadership from their Chiefs!  Guy had them on the right track and now because of their political ambition they have sidetracked all of his great work.  This was much more than a simple drunk driving charge, this was more about the usual FSIN politics than anything and they should not be holding their head high today.

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