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WINNIPEG (CP> - In lan- mues ranging from Ojibwa and to Gitksan and Mohawk, the Ix people vying for the leader- ship of the Assembly of First Na- ons shouted a chorus of defi- ance Monday. ' "'lbe white man ... leads a dlft'erent life, but he does not control us," Ovide Mercredi said icl Cree to applause from more a thousand people jammed into the Winnipeg Convention Centre. ; "I will not tolerate an intru- slon any fur\her on our people's . ts, upon our culture, upon our language," said Bill Wilson, the assembly's outspoken vice- ~ef from British Columbia. , The leadership candidates pve their wrap-up speeches Monday night -They promised to deal trongly with provincial and fed- ral gOYel'lllllents to defend na- tive rights. Wilson won applause and laughter with the most forcefully delivered speech of the night. But he tempered it by telling non-native Canadians not to be afraid. · Natives could help save Cana- da now just as their North Amer- lean home proricied safe haven for the original European set- tlers, said Wilson. .. "Just as we were the life raft when you were lost at sea, so too now in your confusion with the Constitution, we represent a life raft for this country," he said. _ Wilson said the assembly can sene as an example, since it ac- cemmodates 57 distinct native societies with different lan- guages and cultures. 'Nev• go backwards' "We are gaining and we should never go backwards," said Mitchell. Other candidates were less strident 'i1oit;u~ \.j)j,; q§~ <}M/JVJ 11/11 . versarial approach a ism" of many native I He said it has p severely strained re with non-native politic Neil Sterritt. a b 1 Gitlman chief from Columbia. said the must ftnd a wayccto>lllll~ldmnltljllll cerns in native stead of concentrating oa tutional issues. "'lbe realiey in 1981 la Constitution is important are social conditiom, Sterritt Bill Montour, a Mohawk from the Six Nations reaene near · ._ ...