Access to our Leaders!

Ok, I promised myself I would stay positive and am still going to try.  I may fail, but I'm going to try!  I'm wondering what you all think as indigenous peoples about the issue of "access to our leaders"?  I think most of mainstream Canada thinks that our leaders are all corrupt, but I know that's just not true and is a result of what the media chooses to report; media is morally if not legally complicit in our oppression - I digress.So, for example, there are a couple of bad jokes in Indian Country that reflect how many of us feel - "Oh my Chief is like Sasquatch - often talked about, but never seen"!  Or, "Who do you think you are?  A Chief? Clear your dam messages."!  And, I was once told by a Chief that his strategy to survive the phenomenon of the "Bitchy Band Member" was to "Duck and weave Joan.  Duck and weave."In fairness, I've also been told by other leaders that living with the toxicity hurled at them by those they serve has actually caused them anxiety and created mental health problems for them where there were none before they became a Chief or Councillor.  And, as I grow older and try to recruit younger indigenous peoples to run for leadership, the most common response I get is - "Are you kidding?  And be attacked constantly?  Not me!"So, it seems we've got a chicken and egg thing going here when it comes to our indigenous leadership.I believe we need to create workability in terms of how we communicate with our leaders and how they "report" to us and/or take direction from us!    I also believe we all need to learn to disagree without going for the throat?   As members, we are loud when we go for our leaders' throat and as leaders you are sneaky when you come for ours, but we still feel choked!  We must learn to listen and hear each other?Another thing I believe that creates this terrible toxicity in indigenous leadership is the fact that we our communities are not properly funded - so we fight over the scraps.   As members or citizens of our First Nations or Nations, we need to understand the reality that the federal government does not give our leaders enough money to even provide the barest standard of living enjoyed by other Canadians (if you need proof of this just do a Google search - First Nations Gap and get busy reading the facts).What was my point?  Well, for me, in spite of having a broader understanding than many indigenous people, I still expect to have direct access to my leaders and when that is denied, I too am pissed!So, how do Canadians access their political leaders?  I realize I'm Canadian, but my experience in this context is likely similar to many other indigenous peoples - I rarely interact on any level and in any way with those elected to represent me as a Canadian citizen!  And, of late, even those who used to answer my Twitter messages have stopped - could it be my politics?!Anyhow, I think all Canadians theoretically have access to their Member of Parliament or Member of the Legislature and that access is not "on demand" and is controlled.  I'd like to hear your thoughts!  Let's get this party started!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnFQT1-zlBw