FSIN Chief Calls For National Action On Treaties

FSIN Chief Calls For National Action On Treaties

Tuesday, December 08, 2009 at 12:20

The head of the FSIN says a national gathering of chiefs this week will focus on bringing treaties to the forefront of discussions between First Nations and federal officials.

Chief Guy Lonechild is in Ottawa for the next three days for a special chiefs assembly, called by newly-elected national chief Shawn Atleo.

Lonechild says that as the chiefs examine national issues, such as health and child welfare, they will also work on finding ways to “elevate the treaty agenda” with federal leaders.

“The treaty agenda obviously trumps the policies, and the policy agenda of Indian Affairs through the Indian Act certainly has dominated, I think, many of the developments, and really stymied a lot of our developments in terms of economic development, education and so forth. And so it’s time we start to look at a different approach, and that’s what we’re discussing here this week,” he says.

Lonechild says the chiefs have a responsibility to see what they can do to “actually start the development of a treaty relationship and implement rights that were guaranteed” under Canada’s constitution.