Former Manitoba First Nation chief asks Iran for help with a human rights matter

When you need assistance on a human rights matter, where do you turn? The courts, the Human Rights Board, the United Nations? How about Iran?

A former Manitoba First Nations chief who says the federal Aboriginal Affairs department orchestrated a "coup" against him is turning to the Iranians for help.

According to APTN News, the former chief of Roseau River is upset over the Aboriginal Affairs department's decision to postpone a referendum on how the First Nation chooses its leaders.

Roseau River band members were to vote this week on whether to elect a band government based on a custom code or one under the Indian Act. Terry Nelson said the department's decision to cancel the plebiscite was aimed at ensuring he could not return to power.

"This was a coup at Roseau River," Nelson told APTN.

"They are not allowing people to make any decisions…there is no democracy."

Nelson told QMI Agency that he intends to lead a "caravan of cars" to the Iranian embassy in Ottawa. He plans to thank Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his condemnation of Canada's treatment of aboriginal people and to ask him for help in bringing attention to the issue of missing and murdered women.

"I will go to Iran if they want me to address the issue of economic sanctions and what is happening with our Indigenous peoples in Canada," said Nelson.

"The chiefs continue to go meet with [Prime Minister Stephen Harper] and don't do anything more than leave their people suffering."

This is the second time in as many weeks that Canadian chiefs have called out to countries with dubious human rights records.

Last week, a First Nations group from British Columbia wrote an open letter to the Chinese government, suggesting that the Canadian government was violating aboriginal communities' human rights.

"We are writing to you to request that you raise our human rights concerns with Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. We understand that you will meet with him in China this week," noted the letter signed by five chiefs.

"From previous public reports we know that Prime Minister Harper always challenges your country on the human rights record. Open dialogue around human rights is a very positive way to create change."