
Two-Row Wampum leads the march against Bill C-51, Parliament Hill, May 30, 2015. Participants affirm nation-to-nation relations with Indigenous peoples as the basis of unity in action in defence of the rights of all.
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Government’s agenda for First Nations sidesteps crucial issue of where sovereignty lies
By PHILIP FERNANDEZ
On December 8, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke at the annual Special Chiefs Assembly of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). Among various pledges he made there, he called for a “renewed nation-to-nation” relationship with First Nations based on “respect, co-operation, and partnership,” guided by “the spirit and intent of the original treaty relationship; one that respects inherent rights, treaties and jurisdictions, and the decisions of our courts.”
Trudeau’s speech was received with optimism at the AFN Special Chiefs’ Assembly, surely because his words promise an improvement over the Harper government’s abysmal relationship with First Nations. But what the Trudeau government claims will be a “renewed nation-to-nation” relationship has as yet to be fully revealed. Continue reading →