Saskatchewan will play host to the National Chief of the newly named Indigenous People’s Assembly of Canada this weekend.
Chief Dwight Dorey is currently engaging in a nationwide tour to discuss issues important to those in his constituency, and Saskatchewan is the latest stop on his trip.
On Friday, the National Chief is in Saskatoon and will be available from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn.
Following this engagement Chief Dorey will travel north to Prince Albert for another meeting at the Cosmo Lodge from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Chief Dorey says this grassroots tour is an opportunity to hear what people living off reserve in Saskatchewan are dealing with and what they have to say at a community level.
“We are hearing a lot about exclusion on various programs and services,” says Chief Dorey.
He says the need has been growing for more representation for off-reserve Indigenous People.
“This so-called gap that is talked about between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians is growing,” says Dorey. “The Indigenous population is the fastest growing in the county, so it is a huge concern.”
Chief Dorey also says the national tour is a way for them to introduce the organization to people who may not be aware of their purpose.
Up until earlier this week the Indigenous Peoples Assembly of Canada was known as the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples.
Chief Dorey says they made the change to be more inclusive to Canada’s Indigenous people.
IPAC is invested in the interests of all off-reserve First Nations, Metis and Southern Inuit peoples.