Perry Bellegarde

The Assembly of First Nations is planning to urge the federal Liberal government to do more to deal with the disproportionate impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on their communities in a virtual version of its annual general assembly today, December 8, 2020.

"UNDRIP has become — depending on your politics — a key to transforming Canadian laws in an extraordinary act of reconciliation or a 'bogeyman,'" writes Karyn Pugliese, a.k.a. Pabàmàdiz.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations said he won’t seek re-election as the head of the organization next summer.

The Liberal government introduced long-awaited legislation on Thursday, December 3, 2020, to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Justice Minister David Lametti described as a significant step forward on the path to reconciliation.

It will take more than increased civilian oversight or body cameras to fix the RCMP, Karyn Pugliese writes.

Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says Indigenous communities have been facing an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases during the last few weeks.

The Liberal government is promising legislation and money to address systemic inequities in all phases of the criminal justice system.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says First Nations policing must be made an essential service — something Indigenous leaders have been pressing the federal government to do.

Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos says the prime minister wants to move "very quickly" to dismantle barriers that contribute to systemic racism.

The only way to overcome racism in Canada's policing agencies is to impose systemic change and a zero-tolerance policy aimed at eliminating the excessive use of force, the head of the country's largest Indigenous organization said on Monday, June 15, 2020.

Was the “Greta factor” instrumental in getting this many people out? There’s no doubt. But those on the streets sound purposeful and committed to change. They were inspired by Greta, but actively looking for local solutions to a global crisis.

The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is calling on members to lobby all parties in an effort to influence political platforms ahead of the federal election in October.

Conservative senators are being blamed for running out the parliamentary clock on a number of bills, including several aimed at advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The federal government's forthcoming annual public accounts will release a trove of numbers that will show how much more Ottawa expects to pay to settle billions of dollars in legal claims made by Indigenous Peoples and their communities.

Candidates vying to lead the Assembly of First Nations are calling for stronger alliances between nations across Canada to deal with outstanding issues such as land claims.