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April 23, 2006 Assembly of First Nations Approves Final Agreement on Residential Schools Resolution: Urges All Other Parties in Negotiations to Sign-off So Agreement Can Be Approved by Federal CabinetAssembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine announced today that the AFN has approved the final agreement to resolve the legacy of Indian residential schools. The National Chief is urging all other parties in the negotiations – Churches, lawyers and other representatives of residential schools survivors – to endorse the agreement so that it can be put before the federal Cabinet for approval and implementation. “The final agreement is consistent with the approach the AFN has been advocating since day one,” said National Chief Fontaine. “It is a holistic approach that allows for healing and reconciliation, and provides for a faster and more cost-effective approach to deal with individual claims of abuse. The approach is good for residential schools survivors and it is good for Canada. We urge all other parties in the negotiations to endorse this final agreement so it can be approved by the federal Cabinet and we can begin the long-overdue process of bringing about healing and reconciliation for all parties in this sad chapter of our shared history. This approval is a necessary step in this settlement process and we thank the survivors for their patience and understanding as we move to final resolution on residential schools.” On November 23, 2005 an agreement in principle was struck between the AFN, federal negotiator the Honourable Frank Iacobucci, survivors, lawyers and churches involved in residential schools cases. The agreement was to set in place a comprehensive approach that would include: a lump sum payment for all survivors to compensate for loss of language and culture resulting from the schools; a more efficient and effective process to deal with serious claims of abuse; a national “truth-telling” commission to bring greater understanding and awareness of this issue; and expedited compensation payments for the elderly. Based on the agreement-in-principle, a final agreement has now been struck and awaits approval by all parties. The AFN is of the understanding that once Cabinet has approved the agreement, early payments to the elderly will be processed by Service Canada. On April 19, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated at a news conference that: “Our government is prepared to move forward with [the agreement in principle] towards a final agreement as quickly as possible. Cabinet has given its approval for that as has our caucus. The difficulty is that one of the parties on the other side is at the current time blocking the signing of a final agreement.” The AFN Regional Chief for Saskatchewan, Alphonse Bird, stated: “The party being referred to is clearly not the AFN. I would hope that none of the First Nations representatives – including the lawyers who represent survivors – would hold-up a fair and just resolution for people who have waited far too long for healing. The survivors are aging and with each day another one passes on who has not seen justice or reconciliation for their time in the schools. This agreement is far too important to be blocked for petty or insignificant reasons.”
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 |
