There are 3 candidates in the race for Cree grand chief — and they're familiar faces

Three candidates are running to be grand chief of the Quebec Cree Nation, at a key time for the $4.7 billion Grande Alliance infrastructure project.

Current Grand Chief Abel Bosum, current Deputy Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty and Cree musician and activist Pakesso Mukash have all accepted their nominations to run for grand chief in an election set for July 14.

The Grande Alliance project proposes a railway to the far northern reaches of the Cree territory and a deep sea port —and all three candidates agree it will be one of the big issues on voters' minds as they cast their ballot.

When the Grande Alliance was signed in February of 2020 by current Cree Grand Chief Abel Bosum and Quebec premier François Legault, it was called the Cree vision of development.

"The Grande Alliance is really a framework for planning … If we want to do something that will be realized in 5, 10, 15 years … we have to begin," said Bosum, adding it's an opportunity for Cree to decide how they want the territory to develop — and to be in the driver's seat of that development.

"Our priority is always going to be to protect the land, the wildlife and the Cree way of life, but at the same time people have to work … and we have to find ways to provide that employment while minimizing impact on the territory." 

Listen to candidates share their priorities

Abel Bosum says his top three priorities as leader would be governance, capacity building and the continuity of Cree vision. 

As for Mandy Gull-Masty, she says her priorities are governance, language and culture, and a Cree-mixed economy. 

Finally, Pakesso Mukash says the most important issue to him are language and culture, youth and cultural economic development. 

Mukash calls out lack of consultation on project

On top of the 700-kilometre railway and a deep sea port in Whapmagoostui, the Grande Alliance proposes road extensions and upgrades, new power lines, as well as the creation of a network of protected areas, to be built in three stages over the next 30 years.

The project is currently undergoing a key feasibility study into phase one.

For her part, Mandy Gull-Masty says the Cree Nation Government has to do a better job of explaining the Grande Alliance to the people. 

"I have pushed continuously at the council board to have more consultations. The last session that we had, I requested for a consultation package to be tabled and presented," she said, adding that if the people are calling for a referendum on the the Grande Alliance, it's the duty of the government to respond.

"Ultimately the decision is in the hands of the people. I think that when the question is asked, do you want to proceed?, it's up to the government to give that opportunity to the people to decide," said Gull-Masty.

Pakesso Mukash says it's much too early to call the Grande Alliance the Cree vision of development. 

"The majority of the population doesn't know what [the Grande Alliance] is. So how are the representatives saying that we are for this thing, when there hasn't really been extensive consultation?" he said.

Calling the Grand Alliance a "smokescreen," Mukash said he recognizes many of the same narratives that were heard before the 2002 signing of the Paix des Braves agreement with Quebec. He adds that little of the wealth generated by the Paix des Braves has been shared by most Cree.

"[The Grande Alliance] is going to be on the backs of our hunters and trappers," he said, adding current leaders aren't listening to their concerns. 

Motivation for running

Bosum said he is motivated to run for a second term because he feels he still has more to contribute to building the Cree Nation and said with the loss of his son in a motocross accident in 2018 and the COVID-19 pandemic, he didn't have much time to execute all of his priorities.

Before being elected grand chief in 2017, Bosum was the chief negotiator for the Cree Nation government for 16 years. He has also spent time as director of economic development for the CNG and was a community chief in Oujé-Bougoumou.

Mukash said he was convinced to run for grand chief after a video he posted to social media, which was critical of how the Cree Nation was being governed, was viewed more than 10,000 times. 

He is the candidate with the least political experience, other than a stint as the youth chief in his home community of Whapmagoostui, and what he learned as the son of former Grand Chief Matthew Mukash. 

He is the former host of the CBC North Cree-language television documentary show Maamuitaau, but has stepped down to run for office. He was also a member of the Juno-award winning group CerAmony and is an electronic-music DJ, who goes by the name of KXO. 

Gull-Masty has been on the Cree Nation Government Council Board for seven years, first as a community representative for her community of Waswanipi and for the past four years as deputy grand chief. She has 10 years post-secondary education in political science and public policy and has worked at the local and regional level and owned her own small business.

She says many things motivated her to run for grand chief, but the main reason was a frustration that she didn't really feel included in many of the files being worked on by Cree Nation Government during her time as deputy grand chief. 

First female grand chief if elected

If elected, Gull-Masty would be the first female grand chief of the Cree Nation, something she says would be an incredible honour, but not one that defines her campaign. 

"To be the first after we've been a nation for over 45 years, I think would be something remarkable, but honestly, I wish I would have seen it sooner,"  said Gull-Masty. 

"I hope that it's not going to take another 45 years for another woman to be recognized as having the potential to be in this position." 

Election day is July 14, with polls open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.. Advanced polls will be July 7, with polls open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.