Facts about Shawn Atleo, running for re-election at aboriginal group

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Shawn Atleo wants First Nations chiefs from the across the country to elect him for a second term as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

Some facts about Atleo:

Age: 45.

Family: Married to Nancy for 26 years. Two grown children, Tyson and Tara.

Roots: A hereditary chief of the Ahousaht First Nation in British Columbia, near Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island.

Education: Masters in Education in 2003 from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, in conjunction with the University of British Columbia.

Past work: Led an adult-learning centre in Nanaimo; chancellor of Vancouver Island University.

Politics: Served two terms as regional chief for British Columbia before winning national chief position in 2009, on the eighth ballot.

Quote: “We should be gripped by the need to see a fundamental lurch forward, as opposed to this unilateral, incremental approach that all governments have taken. There is no government that has stepped forward and really said we have the will to make this a priority.”

06:00ET 01-07-12