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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The decision hasn't been made yet, but Bill Erasmus, regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), is considering running for the position of national chief.

Bill Erasmus in Washington protesting the proposed Keystone Pipeline. - photo courtesy of Bill Erasmus

With a strong contingent of supporters behind him, the decision will come down to where he is best suited, Erasmus said.

"I've been approached and it's a serious decision I have to make," said Erasmus, who is also the Dene national chief. "The Dene Nation's elections are coming up in the summer, and so is the AFN and I have to decide on where I would be most effective."

Erasmus has been a vocal part of the AFN since 1987 when he was elected to represent the NWT at the national level.

Most notably was his position on the Keystone Pipeline, a position he still endorses.

"Any pipeline coming out of the tar sands is an expansion of the tar sands," Erasmus said. "The proposal is close to a million barrels a day .. our concern is that it's a known fact that the water is being polluted and we're down stream."

Through public opposition the Keystone Pipeline proposal was rejected on Jan. 18 by politicians in the United States.

Water issues are also a major concern for Erasmus, as he prepares to head to Edmonton to take part in the National Water Conference in March.

"There are huge issues that need to be addressed," Erasmus said. "The first part will be the issue of jurisdiction, who owns the water. The feds claim a degree of ownership, so do the provinces, so do the First Nations. Then the meeting will look at the difficulties of fresh drinking water."

Devolution, a hot button topic for the NWT, still remains at the top of the priority list for Erasmus.

"We might agree that something should go to the territorial government if we knew that the government would represent us, cause right now we don't believe it does," Erasmus said.

He is also hopeful for a meeting with the NWT housing minister and Premier Bob McLeod in the coming months.

"We want to meet with them in the next little while and try to help figure a better way to meet the needs of the people out there," Erasmus said.

A lack of available housing for the growing aboriginal population and the poor condition of existing homes - mould, cramped living space and houses in need of serious repair - will all be on the agenda.

As far as the coming election year is concerned, Erasmus is focused on solidifying relationships with governments.

"Clarifying the relationships we have with the different governments," Erasmus said is a priority. "The whole issue is how to get more authority in our communities so people are more autonomous."

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