Local author’s book should get people talking

By Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean Times Contributor

Strathmore’s Leroy Wolf Collar has published his first book, First Nations Self-Government, through Brush Education, Inc., and he held the official launch on Jan. 24 in Siksika.
Wolf Collar, a former chief and councillor with Siksika Nation, grew up in Siksika. As both a former resident and long-time government official, he says he saw systemic and cyclical issues in their government.
He has a Bachelor of Arts in Native Studies and is looking to begin his Master’s this fall.
“This book is written from my own personal experience and perspective,” he said. “Some people might not agree or might not like it. First Nations leaders within our communities need to refocus, rethink and rebuild their community’s leadership, management and governance in order to improve the quality of life for the people they serve.”
A moment that changed everything was during a 2009 treaty conference Wolf Collar attended. The late Jim Sinclair, a Cree elder and leader from Saskatchewan, took the stage and said something Wolf Collar took to heart.
“‘I have been attending these treaty gatherings for many years, and you chiefs, you come to these conferences and you talk about being sovereign leaders representing sovereign nations, and then you talk about treaty and Aboriginal rights. But when the conferences are over, you all go back to your communities as Indian Act chiefs. This is the reason why we are not moving forward; because you chiefs don’t walk the talk as leaders.’”
Wolf Collar says it opened his eyes and made him want to do more than just talk.
“I truly believe this book will help (readers) take an honest look at the dysfunctional environment First Nations people live with every day at the band administration and grassroots levels,” he said. “We need to begin to create a different approach for how things could be or should be in order to make our communities safer and better places to live.”
Wolf Collar pulls no punches. The book is a bare criticism of governance and relationships between the people and the many levels of government and “special interest groups” that claim to represent him. With all of that representation, he said, something should have changed for the better by now.
“There are some hard truths in (the book),” said Wolf Collar’s wife Marsha. “But we need to be talking about these issues. If no one is willing to say there are problems, then nothing will change.”
Leroy’s book, First Nations Self-Governance is available for purchase for $25 via email (lwolfcollar@shaw.ca).