TORONTO – A special chiefs assembly of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) on Wednesday formally ratified its final settlement agreement with the federal government on the reform of First Nations child and family services.
A resolution passed in the evening by the chiefs of NAN’s member First Nations directs their organization’s executive council to sign the agreement reached earlier this year and bring it to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for approval.
NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said the chiefs demonstrated “courage and leadership” in their “historic decision.”
“Ratifying this agreement is just the beginning of the work we need to do, not just in NAN, but across the country,” he said in a news release.
“This is not the end of a process, but the beginning. We acknowledge that there are many voices across Turtle Island that have vested interests in this agreement, and we respect them. We urge the assemblies of Chiefs of Ontario and the Assembly of First Nations, as well as the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, to support approval of the final agreement.”
The resolution passed by a vote of 27 for, nine against and one abstention, according to a NAN spokesperson.
Cat Lake Chief Russell Wesley said Thursday he voted in favour because the agreement gives First Nations more control and resources toward keeping First Nations children and youth "healthy, safe and productive."
The agreement is being brought to the Chiefs of Ontario Special Chiefs Assembly for a vote Thursday and to the Assembly of First Nations for a vote next week.
NAN, the Assembly of First Nations and the Chiefs of Ontario announced in July that they had finalized a a 10-year agreement on child and family services with the federal government.
The $47.8-billion agreement on the long-term reform of First Nations Child and Family Services is effective until March 31, 2034.
Funding is to cover implementation costs, research initiatives, program assessments and alternative dispute resolution.
The FNCS Reform website says the final agreement “reinforces the commitment to First Nations-led service delivery, prioritizing culturally relevant, community-based solutions over top-down, government-imposed models.”
NAN, headquartered in Thunder Bay, is an organization representing 49 First Nations across northern Ontario.
