AFN

AFN | September 22, 2016

OTTAWA — Two leading First Nations voices say the government’s new Supreme Court of Canada selection process creates unfair barriers for indigenous candidates because of its bilingualism requirement.Sen. Murray Sinclair, former chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and Perry Bellegarde, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, tell The Canadian Press an indigenous appointment to the top court is long overdue and should be the government’s top priority.Pri...

AFN | September 14, 2016

MONTREAL — The AFN for Quebec and Labrador say they are sending support to the land defenders fighting against the Dakota Access Pipeline.A statement from the organization says they join in solidarity with the sovereign Sioux Nation and its allies. Ghislain Picard, Chief of the AFNQL, said there is no border between indigenous nations when it comes to the fight together for indigenous treaty rights.Picard said indigenous people throughout the continent have to continue to showcase the sham...

AFN | October 13, 2016

OTTAWA – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde welcomed Canada’s commitment to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change and emphasized the need for action to mitigate the effects of climate change and carbon pricing as it affects First Nations.“We welcome Canada’s announcement and call on all governments to incorporate traditional environmental knowledge and include First Nations in all plans to address climate change,” said National...

AFN | October 13, 2016

NIAGARA FALLS For far too long First Nations couldn’t plan ahead. Funding from the federal government changed year to year, meaning there was no way to know if a program started one year would exist the next.A new agreement between the Assembly of First Nations and federal government hopes to solve that problem.The AFN and federal government signed a fiscal agreement Tuesday at the AFN’s 37th annual general assembly happening over the next three days in Niagara Falls.“It’...