Exploring Theme: "Assembly of First Nations"

NationTalk: The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is sharing the Parliamentary Wrap-Up Report, highlighting its parliamentary advocacy over the past year. In addition to parliamentary written submissions and committee appearances by representatives of the AFN, the AFN developed reports including the National Climate Strategy, the Position Paper on Bill S-13, An Act to amend the Interpretation Act...

APTN News: Russ Diabo, a veteran policy analyst, has seen a lot. He joined Ovide Mercredi in the famous protest-burning of the Chretien Liberal campaign document known as the “Red Book” in 1996; he was at Wounded Knee in 1973 and has worked at the Assembly of First Nations and watched it develop over the years. Diabo,...

RoseAnne Archibald at a commemorative ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick  Canada’s National Observer: First Nations leadership from across the country will be descending on Ottawa to elect a new national chief, with questions remaining about how the new Assembly of First Nations leader will balance...

NationTalk: Halifax, Nova Scotia – The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) successfully concluded its three-day Annual General Assembly (AGA) in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw people. The AGA brought together more than 1500 First Nations leaders, citizens, and observers to set out the strategic direction for advancing First...

https://www.afn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/06-MOU-on-Joint-Priorities.pdf...

Implementation of initiatives begun during the previous mandate Fully implement Child and Family Services and Indigenous Languages legislation Develop a National Action Plan following Inquiry into MMIWG Continue to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action Continue support for nation re-building Address critical infrastructure needs Pan Indigenous Advance co-development of legislation to implement...

Joint Advisory Committee on Fiscal Relations (JACFR) presented their interim report,”Honouring Our Ancestors by Trailblazing a Path to the Future“, to the National Chief and Minister of Indigenous Services Canada in June 2019. Consistent with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) resolution 24/2019, the JACFR, the AFN and ISC will engage extensively with First Nations...

The National Chief opened by speaking about the RCMP action on Wet’suwet’en lands the previous week. He stated that reconciliation requires that First Nations laws must be recognized, respected and upheld, and there must be room in Canada for not only common law and civil law, but recognition of First Nation law and jurisdiction too....

The First Nations Fiscal Management Act has established a strong, framework that enables the 239 First Nations that have opted in to the Act to implement taxation and fiscal management, and access long-term financing to support economic and infrastructure development in their communities. Amendments to the First Nations Fiscal Management Act have been developed with...

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss progress to date, as well as determine the way forward on co-developed initiatives including: Closing the socio-economic gap and ensuring that investments are continually made and are needed each and every year to close the gap. Working towards a new fiscal relationship that provides sufficient, predictable, and...

A New Fiscal Relationship Backgrounder: Ministry of Indigenous Services Current Challenges Government funding is often short-term, proposal and program-based, and prevents planning and flexibility to respond to local needs Reporting burden; a former Auditor General has reported that communities can be required to file more than 100 reports annually to fulfill funding obligations The Default...

Items discussed in pre-meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau: Forgiving B.C. Treaty loans and advances as part of reconciliation; The need for the assumed sovereignty of the Crown to acknowledge, make space for, and respect First Nations inherent rights, title and jurisdiction; The need for the participation of all relevant Ministers in our next meeting under...

Canada – First Nations New Fiscal Relations Working Group under the MOU put forward the following for official signature by AFN and INAC: The first change allows First Nations to carry over funding from year to year. Often, First Nations had to return funds not because they weren’t needed but because there was not enough...

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) calls for three meetings a year to assess progress on our shared priorities and confirm directions forward. These meetings provide an important opportunity to engage with the most senior federal ministers for open and constructive dialogue and to assess progress, identify obstacles and seek ways to advance our priorities. The...

AFN – Canada Priorities: Priority Response Policing and community safety issues affecting First Nations; See “Justice Call to Action # 42 “Aboriginal Justice Systems” Co-development of an Indigenous Languages Act to support the preservation, revitalization and strengthening of Indigenous Languages; Language and Culture. See Call to Action # 14: Aboriginal Languages Act Work in partnership...

The Government of Canada is committed to lifting the 2 percent funding cap for First Nations programs and working to establish a new fiscal relationship that gives First Nations communities sufficient, predictable and sustained funding to ensure the overall wellbeing of First Nations. Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, and...