Assembly of First Nations: Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Bulletin – Resolutions from Special Chiefs Assembly, October 16-18, 2024

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Bulletin – Resolutions from Special Chiefs Assembly, October 16-18, 2024

Summary:

• From October 16-18, 2024, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) held a Special Chiefs Assembly (SCA) on Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program.
• During the SCA, the First Nations-in-Assembly passed two resolutions directing the AFN to reject the current Draft Agreement on Long-Term Reform of the FNCFS and re-negotiate with the Parties based on the direction outlined in the resolutions.
• Following the SCA, the AFN Executive Committee also passed a resolution entitled Support for the family of Mr. Jon Wells of the Kainai/Blood Tribe, supporting the request for a public inquiry into the death of Mr. Jon Wells during a tragic incident with the Calgary Police Service on September 17, 2024.

Special Chiefs Assembly

From October 16-18, 2024, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) held a Special Chiefs Assembly (SCA) on the Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program on Treaty No. 7 Territory, in Calgary, Alberta. This SCA provided an opportunity for Chiefs and Proxies to engage in discussions and vote on resolutions related to the Draft Agreement on the Long-Term Reform of FNCFS.

During the assembly, the First Nations-in-Assembly passed two (2) resolutions relating to Long-Term Reform of the FNCFS Program:

• AFN Resolution 60/2024, Addressing Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program and Jordan's
• AFN Resolution 61/2024, Meaningful Consultation on Long-Term Reform of First Nations Child and Family Services

These resolutions are now available on the AFN website. 

As the first step toward implementing these resolutions, AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak sent a letter to the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services Canada, on October 25, 2024. The letter formally called on Canada to obtain a new negotiation mandate as directed by First Nations-in-Assembly in the new AFN Resolutions 60/2024 and 61/2024, and to provide the necessary resources to advance the work.

Remaining Resolutions

Resolutions not addressed during the October SCA will be tabled for discussion at the upcoming Special Chiefs Assembly, scheduled for December 3-5, 2024, at the Rogers Centre (formerly the Shaw Centre), on the traditional unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation, in Ottawa, Ontario.

For more information on the December 2024 SCA, and to register, please visit www.afn.ca.

For more information on AFN resolutions, please contact resolutions@afn.ca.

For media inquiries, please contact Genna Benson, Director of Communications, at gbenson@afn.ca.

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