Chiefs call for reform of Assembly of First Nations – The Globe and Mail
Native chiefs say the Assembly of First Nations is both ineffective and unrepresentative at this critical moment in the relationship between their people and the rest of Canada, and the organization must be reformed if it is to survive.
A key item on the agenda of a three-day meeting of the AFN that starts here Tuesday is the timing and location of the election of a new national chief. The position has been empty since Shawn Atleo resigned in May after finding himself offside with the majority in his support for federal legislation to reform on-reserve education.
But many of the chiefs who took part in an advance meeting here Monday say the AFN has to be overhauled before any leadership convention can take place.
After a historic Supreme Court ruling last month that expanded aboriginal land title rights with broad implications for resource development, and as contentious issues like education and the disproportionate number of murdered and missing women make headlines, most First Nations leaders agree they are weaker without a central spokesman.
