Ottawa, ON ― Assembly of First Nations National Chief, Perry Bellegarde, today issued the following statement ahead of Tuesday’s House of Commons vote on an NDP motion concerning First Nations child welfare:
“For a decade, the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society have worked together to put pressure on successive Federal Governments to comply with Jordan’s Principle and to secure equitable support for First Nations children living on reserve. This is a fight that should never have been necessary in the first place. This motion calls for action, now, for our most vulnerable children. On behalf of First Nations I urge all Members of Parliament to support this motion tomorrow in the House of Commons.”
The NDP motion, if passed, reinforces the Federal Government’s obligation to implement in partnership with First Nations the decision and compliance orders of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. This includes immediately ending the discriminatory underfunding by the Federal Government of child and family services to protect First Nations children and full implementation of Jordan’s Principle, as well as sharing all documents relevant to the overhaul of federal child welfare services and funding, and the implementation of Jordan’s Principle.
The AFN will continue to act to ensure the Federal Government lives up to its obligations to First Nations children.
The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada. Follow AFN on Twitter @AFN_Updates.
