The Assembly of First Nations is a lobby group representing the 633 First Nations in Canada, governed by an elected National Chief. The National Chief is elected by the members of the AFN; the chiefs of the First Nations. Currently, most Canadian Chiefs are elected by their band. The National Chief is elected for a three-year term. The current National Chief, elected in 2000, is Matthew Coon Come.
The mandate of the AFN is to work for the benefit of Aboriginal rights within Canada. As a national body, most resolutions pertain to the Canadian aboriginal community as a whole (treaty rights, land and resource management, and residential school cases, as only a few examples). However, as there are many different important things happening to First Nations across Canada, often resolutions are undertaken that are more regional- or band-specific.