Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett speaks during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on October 6, 2017. The federal government should have better planned for its event marking the ten-year anniversary of its apology to survivors of residential schools so more survivors could attend, survivors say. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett has offered an apology to Canada’s Indigenous chiefs and proxies at the annual Assembly of First Nations gathering in Vancouver amid accusations of meddling in the election of their national chief.

Bennett was criticized Wednesday by three leadership candidates after the first round of voting. They condemned her her meeting with Alberta chiefs as meddling in the election.

“I don’t care if she had an invitation, it’s totally wrong,” candidate Russ Diabo told reporters at the time. “She should have had the sense to know that as a Crown minister, she should be nowhere near an election.”

“This is another example of how the chief (Perry Bellegarde) and the Liberal Party pat each other on the back,” said Manitoba’s Sheila North. “It’s disgusting. We have to find a way to unify for the heart of our people.”

The Edmonton-based Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations later said the allegations of interference were “totally false,” stating Bennett has been invited to a meeting by Alberta Regional Chief Marlene Poitras for a meeting “on matters of concern to them.”

The minister suggested looking for another meeting place away from the election site, but Poitras insisted the meeting take place anyway.

“I had no intention of upsetting people by accepting the invitation from hearing from a newly elected chief,” Bennett told the chiefs Thursday. “I have too much respect for all of you to influence your decisions.”

She quickly turned the conversation away from the controversy to a discussion about the federal government’s commitment to build the self-determination of Indigenous peoples across the country.

“That’s what we really want to talk about this morning,” Bennett said. “How do we permanently get Ottawa out of the way? As we heard from candidates on Tuesday, the status quo is not okay.”

Despite the criticism from his opponents, Bellegarde, a member of Little Black Bear First Nation in Treaty 4 territory in Saskatchewan, was re-elected with 328 of 522 votes on the second ballot, giving him 60 per cent of the overall vote.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Sheila North received 125 votes, followed by Miles Richardson of B.C. with 59 votes. Kahnawake Mohawk leader Russ Diabo trailed with 10 votes.

Bellegarde was seen by some as being too close to the Trudeau government in the run-up to the election. He told the AFN on Thursday that he remains open to a dialogue with the federal government to push ahead key legislative decisions before the 2019 federal election season takes hold.

“We have to work together and as First Nations we have to be involved and be part of that process,” he said.

“It’s all about dialogue — listening and respecting our point of view.”

More to come…

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