Mississaugas of the Credit Chief Stacey Laforme not seeking re-election in December vote

For the first time in eight years, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) in southern Ontario will have a new elected chief.

Gimaa (Chief) R. Stacey Laforme says he is retiring from politics.

"I feel like I've been running for eight years straight," he told CBC Hamilton."My leadership style at the time was great but it's time for another leader's style somebody who will slow down."

Laforme was first elected to council in 1999 and became Gimaa in 2015.

Prior to politics, Laforme was known for his poetry and storytelling.The 61-year-oldsaid he'll keep working despite retiring frompolitics.

Building bridges between communities

MCFNhasa reserve near Hagersville, Ont., about 38 kilometres southwest of Hamilton. It has roughly 2,570 members, with close to two thirds living off reserve, according to its website. The First Nation is part of the Anishinaabe Nation.

MCFN's website says its traditionalterritory commences"at Long Point on Lake Erie," movingeastward along the shore of the lake to the Niagara River and on toLake Ontario, "then northward along the shore of the lake to the River Rougeeast of Toronto, then up that river ...to the head waters of the River Thames, then southward to Long Point, the place of the beginning."

Laforme said when he became Gimaa, he wanted to hit the ground running and do as many appearances as possible, knowing he might only have a few minutes to speak.

He said he's proud of the bridges he built betweenMCFN and other communities, locally and internationally."Everything we accomplished is because of relationship-building," Laforme said, noting he met King Charles III.

MCFN,has also signed numerous memorandums of understanding with cities, organizations and schools, he said.

During his time as Gimaa, Laforme was outspoken about the Ontario government's now-abandoned changes to the Greenbelt and a lack of consultation when it came to development around the province.

When the country began to search for unmarked graves at former residential schools, Laforme asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeauto lower the flags of Canada and declare a national day of mourning for First Nations children.

'Trusted, honest, plain-speaking guy'

Pat Mandy, an MCFN member, said Laforme has "done a lot" to build external relationships.

"He's been a relationship builder. I think he's a trusted, honest, plain-speaking guy," she told CBC Hamilton.

She noted there were monthly community meetings in MCFN after Laforme became Gimaa.

"There's been a lot of positive change both on the reserve and externally," Mandy said.

She said whoever becomes chief will have "big shoes to fill" especially given how outgoing Laforme is.

Laforme's message for the next leader

Laforme said building new relationships and maintaining existing relationships will be hard for whoever is the community's next elected leader.

"For me, it's remembering we're battling the systems, we're not battling the people. We are in the sense they are representative of the systems, but it's the systems that need to be fixed," he said.

"We need each other, we all need each other."

Gimaa R. Stacey Laforme's advice to the next chief of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

1 year ago

Duration 1:34

Gimaa R. Stacey Laforme offers words of wisdom to the next elected leader of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. He is retiring from politics after eight years as Gimaa.

He noted Indigenous communities need to strengthen bonds with each other.

For example, the dynamic between Six Nations of the Grand River and MCFN neighbouring communities with conflicting views on existing treaty lands is still "challenging" despite how many community members have links to both First Nations.

Laforme added climate change will be an important cause for the next Gimaa.

Laforme said he wishes he and he did a better job of balancing work with time with loved ones.

"It's funny, I worked so hard to build all those relationships with different people, organizations and nations and yet I let the ones closest to me diminish," he said.

Laforme said he'd support Margaret Sault, chair of MCFN's community trust, if she ran to be Gimaa.

MCFN election day is on Dec. 9 Laforme'sbirthday.