David Ahenakew
| David Ahenakew | |
|---|---|
| National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations | |
|
In office 1982–1985 |
|
| Preceded by | Delbert Riley |
| Succeeded by | Georges Erasmus |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 28, 1933 Sandy Lake Indian Reserve, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Died | March 12, 2010 (aged 76) Shellbrook, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Awards | Order of Canada (revoked) |
David Ahenakew, CD (July 28, 1933 – March 12, 2010) was a Canadian First Nations politician, and former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
Ahenakew was born at the Sandy Lake Indian Reserve in Saskatchewan. He and his wife, Grace Ahenakew, had five children.
Ahenakew served in the Canadian Forces from 1951 to 1967, during which time he was stationed in Germany, Korea (during the Korean War), and Egypt.
In 1967, upon leaving the army, Ahenakew accepted a position with the Saskatchewan government, and became active in the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN). He was elected to the position of FSIN president in 1968. He stated that his military experience heavily influenced his choice to pursue politics: "I could see that what was happening to our people was the same kind of exploitation and degradation I had seen in Korea and Egypt."
During his time as FSIN president he released a report entitled "Indian Education in Saskatchewan," and played a role in the founding of the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College and the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College in 1972.
Ahenakew received the Order of Canada in the degree of Member in 1978. His citation read: "Member of a United Nations committee and of the World Indigenous Peoples Council. His many years of service to Indians and Métis in Saskatchewan culminated in his election as Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians, which has revolutionized Indian education in his province." He was stripped of the Order of Canada in 2005 after making controversial remarks about the Holocaust.
In 1982, he was elected Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, a national representative body for Canadian aboriginals.
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