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June 1, 2005 First Nations-Federal Crown Political Accord and Cabinet Retreat Signal Steps Towards Self-Determination and Self-Government for First Nations
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine signed a First Nations-Federal Crown Political Accord on the Recognition and Implementation of First Nations Governments last night. The National Chief called it a “historic step forward for First Nations in their relationship with the federal government” and an opportunity to give life to the inherent Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, as recognized in section 35 of Canada’s Constitution. “This political accord removes the straitjacket from federal policies and programs and sets the stage for a new relationship between First Nations and Canada and a new agenda for First Nations and Canada,” said National Chief Fontaine. “The recognition of rights as expressed in the Constitution is long overdue, so we commend the Prime Minister for recognizing that moving towards self-government is crucial to addressing the social and economic conditions affecting our communities. We can make tremendous progress on long-standing issues by addressing urgent priorities through this new framework that addresses real self-determination, self-government negotiations, inherent rights, Treaty implementation, resource and revenue sharing and access to resources in traditional territories.”
The accord commits First Nations and the Government of Canada to the establishment of a Joint Steering Committee to undertake and oversee cooperative action on policy change; the development of frameworks for the recognition and reconciliation of Constitutional, treaty and inherent rights; capacity-building opportunities for First Nations governance, and processes and legislation that will enable the development of First Nation governments. It was signed as part of the Cabinet Retreat, which brought together the Prime Minister and key Cabinet Ministers with the National Chief, AFN Regional Chiefs and representatives from the AFN’s Women Council, Youth Council and Elders Council. “First Nations and the AFN have worked hard to ensure that the Prime Minister’s commitment to us for a ‘full seat at the table’ becomes a reality and regular part of our new relationship,” stated the National Chief. “The retreat - and the Accord in particular - show that all parties are committed to real progress and moving forward in a manner that respects our right to chart our own course and to take greater control and greater responsibility for the decisions that affect our lives.” The agenda for the Cabinet Retreat built on the policy development, priority setting and dialogue processes coordinated by the AFN since the April 19th, 2004 Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable. “The Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable process was a solid start and a good beginning,” stated the National Chief. “Now, we need to lay-out a proactive and progressive agenda for the coming year. On May 30th, we signed an agreement for a new approach to deal with the tragic legacy of the residential schools. We are dealing with outstanding business of the past through resolution and reconciliation. Now we are moving towards a new relationship and new agenda for the future. We hope all parties will support our work because it’s in Canada’s best interests to deal with our agenda. Our future is Canada’s future.” The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada. Contacts: Don Kelly, AFN Communications Director Ian McLeod, AFN Bilingual Communications Officer Nancy Pine, Communications Advisor, Office of the National Chief |
