I though it was funny to hear Phil Fontaine on CBC's The National last night actually defending the undemocratic and anachronistic system of electing the national chief.
Here is my favourite.. The national chief is selected by chiefs who are in turn elected by their communities, so it must be democratic.
Well, in my years as an editor at an Aboriginal newspaper and my experience traveling to over 30 First Nation communities I have never heard of an Indian Act chief consulting his or her community about who he/she should pick for national chief. It doesn't happen.
The chief-only system is a secret, backroom affair.
I am not saying that the AFN itself is legitimate, but if FNs want it to exist, it must be more representative. As it is, with chiefs only, there will be never even be a debate over whether or not to move away from the AFN system.