Assembly of First Nations special chiefs assembly kicks off in Ottawa

By Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press on December 3, 2024.

OTTAWA – The Assembly of First Nations is hosting a special chiefs assembly in Ottawa today with child welfare, economic reconciliation and First Nations policing on the agenda.

The gathering comes after a testy October assembly where chiefs were divided on how to reform the First Nations child welfare system.

More than 1,700 chiefs, proxies and participants are registered to attend the three-day gathering.

An emergency resolution slated for discussion today calls for a national inquiry into systemic racism in policing.

It comes after six people were killed in interactions with police in different parts of the country in September, sparking calls for change.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says she expects policing legislation to be a major topic of discussion, saying First Nations are always an afterthought even though they are constantly dealing with those issues.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024.

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