Beardy's and Okemasis member becomes part of Liberal Party Aboriginal Peoples' Commission executive
- EFN Staff | February 05, 2014
The Aboriginal Peoples' Commission (APC), the Indigenous wing of the Liberal Party of Canada, is set to convene its Annual General Meeting at the Party's Biennial Convention in Montreal this February.
The AGM will seek to amend the constitution, put forth new policies, and elect or acclaim a new executive to steer the Commission into the 2015 federal election and beyond.
Among those being acclaimed will be Kevin Seesequasis, the 31-year-old Liberal organizer from the Beardy's & Okemasis First Nation.
Seesequasis, who launched his modest campaign with a simple Facebook message "I have an announcement" on January 13th, said he received good news yesterday via email: "I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that you have been elected by acclamation," read the message from Convention Returning Officer, Steven MacKinnon.
"I'm pretty excited. It's very humbling and I'm honoured to be entrusted with such incredible responsibility within both the APC and the Liberal Party of Canada," said Seesequasis.
Seesequasis, who has the support of Montreal MP Marc Garneau and Saskatchewan Senator Lillian Dyck, is currently the National Vice-President (Communications) for the Commission and says his number one priority is connecting with Indigenous people in their communities.
"There's a lot of hard work to do. The issues affecting our people require a respectful partnership one completely different from the one the Harper Conservatives have laid out. Building those relationships will take time," he said. "There's a lot of positive energy in the Party and a strong desire to do better."
With the creation of the APC in 1990, the Liberal Party of Canada became the first political party to formally recognize the unique place that Indigenous peoples occupy in Canada. The APC represents and promotes the interests of Indigenous members of the Liberal Party and encourages the active and equitable participation of Indigenous people at all levels of the Party structure.