Former Adams Lake Indian Band chief enters race for B.C. regional chief – Kamloops This Week
May 20, 2015
Nelson Leon, former chief of Adams Lake Indian Band, has announced his candidacy for the position of B.C. regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations.
Leon joins Tk’emlups Indian Band Chief Shane Gottfriedson as the two declared candidates for the position. Voting among residents of 203 B.C. First Nations will culminate in the results being released on June 25.
“The regional chief needs to be the catalyst for advancing the recognition and implementation of aboriginal title and rights inclusive of treaty rights on the ground,” Leon said in a news release. “The recent Tsilhqot’in decision declaring aboriginal title, the Mount Polly disaster and the accelerated rate of resource development make it imperative that First Nations take a lead role in decision making of land based activities.
“Not only is our way of life affected but also the quality of our life, and what we have to pass on to our children.”
