OTTAWA -- First Nations women have achieved a significant feat with very little -- if any -- fanfare.
Four of the eight candidates in the recent election for national chief of the Assembly of First Nations were women.
That's a major breakthrough not only for the native organization but for Canadian politics in general.
The president of the Quebec Native Women's Association, Michele Audette, says that just 30 years ago women on her reserve couldn't even participate in band meetings.
Audette says starting at the local level is the key to success for women seeking political careers.
And her message to men is that their own health and welfare will benefit from the empowerment of women.
