Picard announces retirement
After 32 years, Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador president Ghislain Picard announced his retirement. Francis Verreault-Paul has been elected to take his place as regional chief. Courtesy Ghislain Picard
If you told Ghislain Picard 32 years ago that he’d still be the head of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) in 2025, he wouldn’t have believed you.
“I’d be the last one to think that!” Picard told The Eastern Door. “I mean, 32 years is a long time, it’s almost a lifetime. It’s a good half my life spent on the political front.”
Picard, who is Innu, has decided to officially retire, and will be passing the baton to someone else at the end of February, when chiefs will vote for a new leader of the AFNQL.
He said that he decided not to seek re-election so that he could spend more time with his family and relax a little after so many years of dealing with politics each day.
“This is a time where I’m leaving on my own terms,” he said.
Over the last three decades, Picard has served 11 terms as leader of the AFNQL, a role that also makes him regional chief for Quebec-Labrador at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). Throughout his time in the role, he has been at the forefront of many political moments, including with regards to energy and pipelines, systemic racism, and youth protection.
Picard received the National Order of Quebec for his work in 2003, and he also served as AFN’s national chief on an interim basis in 2014.
He said that one of the most difficult to navigate issues has been the changing role of the organization, and the different opinions in communities about how AFN should operate.
“I think regionally and nationally, First Nations are at a crossroads, and there needs to be a realignment on the role of the AFNQL and also of the AFN,” he said. “The issue of relevancy has been brought up a number of times over the years, and maybe it’s time to question that and find solutions for how we will respond.”
He said that it’s imperative that leaders and communities work together to establish that path going forward.
“I’ve always strongly believed that as a regional organization we could provide support and somehow strengthen our governments at a regional and local levels,” Picard said. “I think we can still do that, there’s still a purpose for a regional body, but it needs to be better tailored, and I think only the chiefs at the table can provide those answers.”
In a press release on Thursday, Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) chiefs wished well, noting that Picard’s children and grandchildren are from Kahnawake.
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“On behalf of the MCK, I would like to thank Ghislain for his tireless dedication and commitment to our communities and to First Nations as a whole,” said MCK grand chief Cody Diabo.
“We wish him all the best in his future endeavours, and we will always be grateful for his contributions,” added MCK chief Iohahí:io Delisle.
The nomination period for Picard’s successor runs until February 10.
