What We Do
The PEI Office of the Regional Chief (PEIORC) represents First Nations in Prince Edward Island through the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), while also contributing to advocacy efforts for all Indigenous peoples in Canada. We work to ensure that the voices, rights, and priorities of PEI’s First Nations are heard at the regional and national levels.
In his role as the Regional Chief for Prince Edward Island, Wendell Labobe takes on many roles and responsibilities, including:
- Representing PEI First Nations at the AFN national table
- Advocating for First Nations’ rights, priorities, and self-determination
- Working with federal, provincial, and Indigenous partners
- Supporting Chiefs through policy, coordination, and engagement
- Ensuring PEI perspectives are reflected in national strategies and legislation
- Advancing reconciliation, Indigenous self-determination, and community well-being
- Advocating for policy changes that benefit PEI First Nations and Indigenous peoples across Canada
- Supporting community-driven initiatives that align with national Indigenous priorities.digenous communities.
The role is both advocacy-focused and relationship-based, ensuring PEI First Nations are heard, respected, and included in decisions that impact them.
Who We Work For
The PEI Regional Chief represents and works on behalf of the two First Nations in Prince Edward Island – Lennox Island First Nation and Abegweit First Nation
All advocacy and engagement undertaken by the PEI Office of the Regional Chief is grounded in the priorities, direction, and interests of these communities. We work in partnership with Chiefs, Elders, youth, community members, national Indigenous organizations, and advocacy groups.
Importantly, our office does not participate in Band governance. We do, however, work closely with the Chiefs of Lennox Island First Nation and Abegweit First Nation to ensure the unique issues facing the Island’s Indigenous communities.
Why It Matters
The work of the PEI Office of the Regional Chief is rooted in the well-being, strength, and future of Indigenous peoples.
By advocating for policies and initiatives that reflect the needs of both PEI’s First Nations and Indigenous communities across Canada, we help ensure that Indigenous peoples have access to opportunities, resources, and protections that support their growth and self-determination.
Our efforts are grounded in Mi’kmaq values, culture, and sovereignty, while supporting a national movement toward justice, reconciliation, and Indigenous-led solutions.
The Role of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN):
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is a national advocacy organization representing First Nations across Canada. It provides a forum for Chiefs and Regional Chiefs to advance collective priorities related to rights, governance, health, education, justice, climate, and social well-being.
The PEI Regional Chief sits at the AFN national table, working alongside other Regional Chiefs and the National Chief to bring forward issues impacting First Nations in Prince Edward Island and across the country.
For more info, visit AFN.ca
OUR MANDATE
The Prince Edward Island Office of the Regional Chief (PEIORC) is committed to representing and promoting the collective interests, rights, and priorities of First Nations in Prince Edward Island within the Assembly of First Nations.
We collaborate with PEI First Nations leadership to support advocacy, coordination, and engagement regionally, nationally, and internationally.
We are committed to upholding Indigenous and Treaty rights; fostering nation-to-nation relationships; and supporting informed decision-making by Chiefs. We also work to advance priorities identified by First Nations in PEI across key policy areas, including governance, social well-being, health, climate, environment, water, and economic sustainability.
PEIORC operates with respect, accountability, transparency, and collaboration, ensuring that PEI First Nations’ voices are heard, respected, and included in national dialogue and decision-making.
OUR VISION
Our vision is for a future where First Nations in Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island) and Indigenous peoples across Canada thrive in self-determining, sovereign communities, guided by our inherent rights, cultural values, and a strong voice at all levels of decision-making.
OUR VALUES
Community-Directed
The voices of First Nations communities guide our work. Policies and advocacy must reflect lived realities, not assumptions.
Indigenous-Led
Our work is rooted in the belief that Indigenous peoples must be involved from the outset in designing, implementing, and evaluating solutions.
Respect and Accountability
We work with integrity, transparency, and respect. We are accountable to the communities we represent.
Collaboration
We believe that lasting change requires collaboration across First Nations, governments, and organizations, grounded in mutual respect.
Survivor-Centred and Trauma-Informed
Our work recognizes the impacts of trauma and is survivor-centred. We prioritize dignity, safety, and healing in everything we do.
Equity & Inclusion
We advocate for equitable access to services and supports, with particular attention to women, youth, Elders, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.
Our Beginnings
The PEI Office of the Regional Chief was created following a resolution (#72/2019) to the Assembly of First Nations, which was passed on July 25, 2019. It directed the AFN to work with the Chiefs of Prince Edward Island to amend the Charter, so the composition of the Executive Committee would allow for a PEI Regional Chief.
Before this resolution, the PEI Bands were represented by the New Brunswick Regional Chief at AFN. Over time, it became clear that the issues and interests of First Nations in Epekwitk were often unique and distinct from those facing New Brunswick communities. Our Island community needed its voice heard at the national level.
After the resolution was passed, the Charter was amended to include a place at the table for a PEI Regional Chief. In 2022, the PEI Office of the Regional Chief was incorporated, and the following year, Roseanne Sark was hired to set up the non-profit organization. In the spring of 2024, our first Regional Chief, Wendell Labobe, was hired.
The establishment of the PEI ORC would not have been possible without the driving initiative and dedication of Chief Darlene Bernard (Lennox Island) and Chief Roderick Gould (Abegweit). Together, they set the wheels in motion by bringing the resolution to the AFN and have worked tirelessly to get our office up and running. From 2022 until 2024, they also served as Co-Interim Regional Chiefs for the Office.
Today, the current Chiefs of both Bands are deeply engaged with our Office, working in partnership with our Regional Chief to advocate on behalf of our Island’s First Nations.
Our People
Regional Chief Wendell Labobe
A proud member of the Lennox Island First Nation, Regional Chief Wendell LaBobe is a passionate advocate for First Nations’ rights, self-determination, and community-led progress. With nearly 20 years of experience in Indigenous communities and organizations, he brings a practical, solutions-focused approachto his role as the first-ever Regional Chief for Prince Edward Island within the Assembly of First Nations (AFN).
Wendell previously served as an elected Councillor with Lennox Island First Nation and has worked closely with leadership to support community growth, governance, and service delivery.
As Regional Chief, Wendell participates in national Chiefs-in-Assembly, works with other Regional Chiefs and the National Chief, and engages directly with federal and provincial partners. His work spans justice, health, child and family services, and community safety, with a strong focus on ensuring Indigenous perspectives shape decisions that affect Indigenous peoples.
Wendell is known for his collaborative leadership style, his commitment to community-directed solutions, and his belief that lasting change happens when Indigenous peoples are meaningfully involved in designing the policies and systems that impact their lives.
“As the Regional Chief, I am committed to standing with our communities, supporting our leaders, listening to our people, and helping to build a strong future that reflects who we are as Mi’kmaq people. Together, we carry forward the strength and teachings of our ancestors and ensure the path is clear for the next generations.” RC LABOBE
Roseanne Sark
Director of Operations and Executive Assistant
Roseanne Sark brings over two decades of experience in health policy, program development, and community service to her role as Director of Operations and Executive Assistant of the PEI ORC. Since becoming the Office’s first staff member in 2023, Roseanne has played an integral role in providing operational leadership, overseeing policy and governance coordination, and organizational planning to support the Regional Chief’s vision. She’s also responsible for coordinating the Office’s AFN committee appointees and preparing for the AFN national assemblies to ensure PEI has a voice at key governance discussions.
Previously, Roseanne served as Director of Health at the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI. In this integral role, she championed community-driven health initiatives and advocated for PEI’s First Nations. She also loved sharing her passion for the Living Medicine Wheel, a facilitation exercise she conducted under the health program. It proved so popular that Roseanne began empowering others to facilitate this exercise in their own communities.
Certified as a First Nation Health Manager (FNHMA) in 2014, Roseanne also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Carleton University (2002) and certifications in Reality Therapy (1995) and Conflict Resolution (2006).
A proud member of the Lennox Island First Nation, Roseanne’s commitment to her community is deeply rooted in love, respect, and a lifelong dedication to service. She currently resides in Summerside and cherishes time spent with her two grandchildren.
Our Board
Our Board is currently comprised of the Chiefs of Lennox Island First Nation and Abegweit First Nation. They work closely with the Regional Chief to provide guidance and direction on the collective interests, rights, and priorities of PEI’s First Nations.
Lennox Island First Nation
Lennox Island First Nation is the first and largest Mi’kmaq Band on Epektwik. Today, approximately 450 of the Band’s 1056 members live on the Lennox Island reserve, also known as L’nui Mnikuk. The 540-hectare island is located in northwestern PEI and connected to the main island by a short causeway and bridge, and overlooks Malpeque Bay.
This special place has always held deep spiritual and cultural significance to the Mi’kmaq people. For thousands of years, they have respected and cherished the lands and waters of L’nui Mnikuk. In turn, the fields, forests, and seas deeply shaped the Mi’kmaq way of life and their traditions. Fishing was an integral part of Mi’kmaq life for millennia and continues to be an important part of the local economy to this day.
Today, Lennox Island is a thriving community hub with its own health centre, several active businesses, a cultural centre, an elementary school, a community garden, and more. Fishing has been an integral part of Mi’kmaq life for millennia and continues to be an important part of the local economy to this day.
Abegweit First Nation
Abegweit First Nation is a proud Mi’kmaq Band that traces its roots to Epekwitk, dating back 10,000 years according to oral tradition and archaeological evidence.
The official creation of the Abegweit First Nation occurred on March 7th, 1972, as a means of better serving Mi’kmaq communities in Eastern PEI. It comprises the Morell, Rocky Point, and Scotchfort reserves.
The Scotchfort reserve is located approximately twenty minutes northeast of Charlottetown along Route 2. The largest of the three reserves, it is the commercial and community hub of the Abegweit Band. A short drive further east, the Morell reserve is composed of 200 acres of forested land as well as a few residential homes along the highway. The Rocky Point reserve is about a thirty-minute drive southwest of Charlottetown.
While the Abegweit First Nation Band includes a relatively small number of members, its population has grown rapidly over the past ten years at a rate of approximately forty percent. As it sets its sights on supporting its growing and youthful population, Abegweit First Nation has embarked on a number of infrastructure projects at all three of its reserves.
