By David Kirton

Past chiefs call for FSIN Chief Lonechild to step down

Feb 10, 2011 | 3:16 PM

Two long-time senators and former Chiefs of the Federation of Saskatchewan First Nations are calling for current Chief Guy Lonechild to step down.

Lonechild recently pleaded guilty to charges of impaired driving and failing to stop for police. That came out through the media, after Lonechild's lawyer succeeded in moving the sentencing to Rosthern.

Sol Sanderson said there is policy surrounding crime.

“Wherever there is a criminal code violation, the standard at the community level is the chief and councils have to resign,” he said.

Roland Crowe and Sanderson raised concerns and said as a result, they were evicted by Lonechild from a meeting on Tuesday.

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Crowe said it follows a meeting with Lonechild on Monday where they told him he was losing support.

“The senate working group had lost its confidence in this individual,” Crowe said.

The FSIN's Senate Working Group consists mainly of former chiefs of the Federation. Crowe said Lonechild did not like what he heard

“I think what we had to say to him wasn’t accepted very well so he locked us out of the Indian Government Commission meeting,” Crowe said.

Sanderson contends the current Indian leadership does not understand that the FSIN has standards that are to be enforced. For that reason he says, Guy Lonechild must step down.

Lonechild said he has been open and transparent the whole time.

“I did tell the FSIN as soon as it was required for me to do so and I did so in writing and of course people will spin it the way it was, that I wasn’t being open and transparent, when in fact, I was,” he said.

When it comes to changing the location of his court appearance, Lonechild said it was the advice of his lawyer, and he regrets the decision.

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