Topic: Today’s News

• The AFN Executive Committee established the AFN COVID-19 (C-19) National Task Force to support the AFN Executive Committee by drawing on experts in the health, emergency management, communications and legal/policing sectors and other areas as required.
• The AFN C-19 National Task Force will engage in dialogue with experts, leadership and First Nation citizens to provide recommended actions that will support the mitigation of impacts of the C-19 virus and ensure First Nations have access to reliable and accurate information.
• The AFN will continue to advocate with all governments for planning, preparation and response measures that address the unique needs of First Nations.

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is making every effort to ensure that the unique needs of First Nations are addressed during this global pandemic. The AFN is advocating with all governments to engage with First Nations so they are involved in every stage of planning preparedness and response, and working to ensure accurate and timely information is available to First Nations.

To further these efforts, the AFN Executive Committee established the AFN C-19 National Task Force by way of a motion at a duly convened meeting on April 21, 2020. Under the current Terms of Reference, the C-19 National Task Force receives its mandate from the AFN Executive Committee and is accountable to the Executive Committee and First Nations-in-Assembly.  The Task Force is Co-Chaired by Manitoba Regional Chief Kevin Hart, Portfolio Holder for Emergency Management, and Yukon Regional Chief Kluane Adamek, Portfolio Holder for Health.

The overall objective of the AFN C-19 National Task Force is to engage in dialogue with experts, leadership and First Nation citizens to provide recommended actions that will support the mitigation of impacts of the C-19 virus. The National Task Force is not a decision-making body, but will assist in providing credible, useful information to the AFN Executive Committee and support their efforts to inform First Nations in their region about the current developments and announcements regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, including information related to external announcements by governments, organizations and other entities that can impact First Nations.

The National Task Force will provide support to the AFN Executive Committee by drawing on information from experts in areas like health, emergency management, communications and legal/policing sectors and other subject matter as required. The AFN C-19 National Task Force will work closely with the AFN Health Sector, AFN Emergency Management Sector and other AFN Policy Sectors to ensure all relevant information and analysis is gathered and shared with First Nations.  This information can be packaged in a number of ways and made available to First Nations and organizations through a number of communications avenues.

The Task Force members will ensure any recommendations reflect a national perspective and take into consideration regional variations and processes. Currently, the National Task Force has been given a 60-day mandate for its work, but the term can be extended if required. Due to the rapidly changing circumstances involved in the response to the pandemic, the Task Force will review and update the Terms of Reference as necessary to ensure that they are acting in the most effective and efficient manner to meet the needs of the national and regional offices.

The AFN C-19 National Task Force is an important extension of the AFN’s work to ensure First Nations have access to the best information and advice during this difficult time. There is already a wide variety of information available through a number of channels (AFN social media, the AFN App and e-Newsletter and others) and it is all available on the AFN website. We encourage you to visit the AFN COVID-19 Webpage to access these resources:

We thank all First Nations leadership, Elders and Knowledge Keepers, experts and frontline workers, and citizens who are working diligently to ensure our people and our Nations are safe and healthy.

Mother Earth is speaking to us in ways foretold in our prophecies. 

Time constantly evolves. These changes bring with it new challenges and unknown threats. There will be a time for renewal, a time we can understand unknown threats such as COVID-19. This new threat is gripping our communities and we are in unchartered waters as the world scrambles to respond. What can we do? STAY HOME.

We are vulnerable to infectious diseases. Most of our communities are ill-equipped to fight this global pandemic. The health and well-being of our people will suffer dramatically. Poverty, overcrowding, and a lack of safe drinking water have impacts on health that are compounded by a lack of readily available health care. Those most susceptible to COVID-19 are our Knowledge Keepers. We need to protect them. What can we do? STAY HOME.

We are told that there would be a time of great sorrow. We believe that time is now. Let’s be smart. Do not leave your home fires until we receive word we are living in better days. Keep your connection to the land, if you must. But social distance yourself.

Mother Earth is healing in response to the current global pandemic.

“I urge the young people and others to listen to the warnings of authorities about the worldwide sickness that has become a silent killer. If you care about your loved ones STAY HOME. WASH YOUR HANDS. KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE.  You may not be sick, but you may be a carrier. You may have it on your clothes and hands. First Nations health care is the worst in Canada. Our people are dying because they cannot afford the drugs that can extend their lives. Our medicines are there, but there are distribution and supply problems, like everyone else. This pandemic was and is in our predictions. We have many cultures in Canada. We are in this together. Be wise, persevere, pray and, above all, listen.” 

–Bruce Starlight, Tsuut’ina Nation

“We want to send the clear message to stay home. Self-isolation provides each of us with opportunities to reconnect with our positive values and to, perhaps, understand more about our Ancestral Lands and how important they were to our self-preservation. It is through our ceremonies we are taught of self-discipline, and the youth can see the true value of self-disciplining, of self-isolation. We must self-care by staying home and truly embrace Mother Earth’s current wake up call.” 

In reaction to the announcements made public today by the Quebec Deputy Premier, Ms. Geneviève Guilbault, on the lifting of regional confinement, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) calls on the Government of Quebec to involve First Nations authorities who are directly affected by the decision. 

“Putting an end to regional traffic controls is not without worrying our leaders, who have spared no effort since the beginning of the crisis to limit the spread of COVID-19 among their populations. Beyond an economic recovery plan, we ask that the public health authorities and the government actively involve our authorities so that actions are in line with their reality and expectations”, said Ghislain Picard, Chief of the AFNQL. 

“Access to the regions is a danger of recontamination, people from larger regions could seek refuge where there are fewer COVID-19 cases. The danger is too great”, declared Chief Adrienne Jérôme of the Lac Simon First Nation, an Anishinabe community located near Val-D’Or. 

“Today’s announcements cannot and should not mean a return to normal. The measures that our communities are putting in place to protect their populations must be supported to the level of the risk factors that make them the most vulnerable to the pandemic,” added Ghislain Picard. 

Most of the First Nations have taken exceptional measures to block if not control access to their communities. It will be up to them alone to review their decisions for a partial or complete lifting of these measures. “We expect that the provincial and federal governments will continue to support the actions that will be taken by our authorities who prioritize the health and safety of their members and families ”, concluded the Chief of the AFNQL. About the AFNQL The Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador is the political organization regrouping 43 Chiefs of the First Nations in Quebec and Labrador. Follow us on Twitter @APNQL

En réaction aux annonces rendues publiques aujourd’hui par la vice-première ministre du Québec, Mme Geneviève Guilbault, sur la levée du confinement régional, l’Assemblée des Premières Nations Québec-Labrador (APNQL) demande au gouvernement du Québec d’impliquer les autorités des Premières Nations qui sont directement touchées par la décision. 

« Mettre fin au contrôle de la circulation en région n’est pas sans inquiéter nos dirigeants, qui n’ont rien ménagé depuis le début de la crise pour limiter la propagation de la COVID-19 au sein de leurs populations. Au-delà d’un plan de relance économique, nous demandons que les autorités en santé publique et le gouvernement associent étroitement nos autorités afin que les actions soient conformes à leur réalité et à leurs attentes », a tenu à rappeler Ghislain Picard, chef de l’APNQL. 

« L’accès aux régions est un danger de recontamination, les gens des grandes régions pourraient se réfugier là où il y a moins de COVID-19. Le danger est trop grand », a déclaré la Cheffe Adrienne Jérôme de la Première Nation de Lac Simon, une communauté Anishinabe située près de Val-D’Or. 

« Les annonces faites aujourd’hui ne peuvent pas et ne doivent pas signifier un retour à la normale. Les mesures que mettent en place nos communautés pour protéger leurs populations doivent être appuyées à la hauteur des facteurs de risque qui rendent celles-ci les plus vulnérables face à la pandémie », a ajouté Ghislain Picard. 

La grande majorité des Premières Nations a pris des mesures exceptionnelles pour bloquer sinon de contrôler l’accès à leurs communautés. Il reviendra à elles seules de revoir leurs décisions pour une levée partielle ou complète de ces mesures. « Nous nous attendons à ce que les gouvernements provincial et fédéral demeurent au rendez-vous pour soutenir les actions qui seront prises par nos autorités qui priorisent la santé et la sécurité de leurs membres et leurs familles », a conclu le chef de l’APNQL. À propos de l’APNQL L’Assemblée des Premières Nations Québec-Labrador est l’organisme régional politique qui regroupe 43 chefs des Premières Nations au Québec et au Labrador. Suivez l’APNQL sur Twitter @APNQL.

Foresters spend a lot of time in the outdoors and they know that trees are connected to each other through underground networks that let them share water, nutrients, and information that is essential for life. Trees are very much like people in that the health of our respective communities is directly related to the well being of all, and individual actions can impact many. 

Recent events related to the COVID-19 pandemic have brought this reality to light. The global dimensions of the crisis and the economic and social uncertainty are almost impossible to grasp. Yet, so many Canadians and Canadian businesses across the country have been stepping up to keep their communities healthy and safe. We are staying at home if we can, going to work when we must, and we are doing it together. 

Canada’s forest sector employs more than 230,000 workers in over 600 communities across the country. We have long been known for our green credentials and our sector’s world-leading approach to forest management. Recent events have reminded us of the important health benefits of Canadian forest products and have reinforced the essential nature of our supply chain – wood, pulp, and paper products and their ubiquitous presence in the daily lives of Canadians. From toilet paper to food containers to face masks and hospital gowns, the importance of our sector has been hiding in plain sight, and we have embraced our role as an essential provider to Canadians. Meeting that responsibility day in and day out, while keeping our people safe, is our primary focus. 

Given the nature of our work, we are a sector that knows quite a bit about resilience in the face of disruption. Whether that involves market conditions, bad weather, operational problems, forest fires, or pest outbreaks – we plan for the unexpected, and then execute decisively. The strengths of our industry are our people, our commitment to the environment, our production capabilities, and our deep culture of safety. We know that strong leadership and flexibility from the forest floor through our mills to our boardrooms will allow Canada’s forest industry to be a leading part of Canada’s post-COVID economic recovery. 

Forest sector professionals are, at heart, deeply rooted in our mainly rural and northern communities. These roots make us intensely aware of the need around us, and it is part of our DNA to support those who need help. 

Over the last few weeks, Canada’s forest sector and its people have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local food banks, hospitals, women’s shelters, mental health organizations, Boys and Girls Clubs, and United Way operations. We have also stepped up to provide frontline health care workers and public health authorities with protective masks and gear, respirators, sanitizers, and tissue supplies. Some FPAC member companies have even launched social media initiatives to applaud the efforts of the local heroes in our areas. 

In the forest and in our communities, a crisis for one is a crisis for all. Canadians can be assured that the people of our industry will continue to be there for them to provide the essential products and services that will sustain our communities through this turbulent period. It’s #ForestryTogether – and it’s what we do. 

Tungasuvvingat Inuit (TI) in Ontario is fighting back against the COVID-19 pandemic while supporting Urban Inuit Youth.  The youth leadership team, part of the Youth Life Promotion at TI, is excited to launch the Inuksuk Campaign.  The Inuksuk is iconic and is a symbol of knowing our way and moving forward. Historically the Inuksuk was seen as a survival tool and during this pandemic, it is vital to remember our strengths and move forward in our lives.  The Inuksuk Campaign is designed as a community project to share photos and videos of Inuksuk made by Urban Inuit or seen within the Urban Inuit communities.  We invite one and all to show their Inuksuk from across the country in support of Urban Inuit Youth.

Take your photo or video and post it on social media with the hashtags: 
#InukStrong and #UrbanInuit

The inspiration came from Youth Life Promotion team member Mikka Komaksiutiksak.  “This project is important to me because it connects Urban Inuit Youth and their communities within Canada. It highlights the strength in celebrating aspects of our culture together during an uncertain time. Urban Inuit Youth are hearing from their Elders that this has happened within our communities before. Stories of outbreaks related to tuberculosis, polio, and other illnesses are sparking important conversations with Elders. This connects us all to our survival and will help Urban Inuit Youth carry the knowledge forward and help to understand that we will all get through this together.”

The campaign will also help bring together urban and rural Inuit community members in “The Fifth Region”.  Statistics Canada has identified that nearly 40% (or more) of Inuit live outside of Inuit Nunangat and it is important to recognize urban Inuit communities and celebrate their unique history of urban Inuit identity. Mikka adds, “All youth within every society faces challenges. Urban Inuit Youth in particular face unique challenges that include being born into a world where inter-generational impacts are a normal aspect of understanding who we are as Inuit. Urban Inuit Youth must be provided an outlet during this pandemic to allow them to use their voice in positive ways. Nobody is alone. Urban Inuit Youth becomes stronger together, and this project will inspire the entire community.”

Join the campaign and show your Inuksuk!

D’entrée de jeu, l’Assemblée des Premières Nations Québec- Labrador (APNQL) tient à exprimer son appui à la position de la Nation Innue et demande, à l’instar de celle-ci, que toute décision visant à réduire les mesures de confinement se prenne de concert avec les Premières Nations sur leurs territoires traditionnels. 

De plus, l’APNQL tient à souligner que la lutte acharnée que mènent les dirigeants et tout le personnel responsable des mesures d’urgence, de la santé, des services sociaux et de la sécurité publique de nombreuses Premières Nations au Québec, porte vraisemblablement fruit à ce jour. Avec moins d’une trentaine de cas testés positifs maintenant rétablis pour la plupart et zéro décès, nous constatons avec grande satisfaction et fierté que la prise en charge urgente des communautés pour le mieux-être de leur population fonctionne d’une façon remarquable, malgré les écueils que certaines ont rencontré sur le plan du financement des mesures, de l’harmonisation et de l’arrimage avec le réseau québécois et le gouvernement fédéral. 

Par ailleurs, l’APNQL salue la décision du ministre de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur qui annonçait hier que toute décision concernant les conditions de reprise graduelle des classes des écoles primaires dans les communautés des Premières Nations et Inuit demeurent sous l’autorité de celles-ci. 

Outre le domaine scolaire et bien que l’annonce du ministre Roberge démontre un respect de l’exercice de nos juridictions, l’APNQL rappelle que l’implication des dirigeants des Premières Nations dans le processus décisionnel de l’assouplissement de toutes mesures de confinement demeure fondamentale et essentielle. La raison est simple : la prévalence élevée de nombreux facteurs de risque* qui rendent nos populations beaucoup plus vulnérables devant la pandémie. Encore une fois, il s’agit d’une question de vie ou de mort. 

L’APNQL a maintes fois réitéré que le taux de maladies chroniques est plus élevé chez les Premières Nations que dans tout autre segment de la société, que le surpeuplement des logements rend extrêmement difficile, voire quasi impossible, la distanciation physique. « À titre d’exemple, comment appliquer les mesures dans une communauté comme Kitcisakik, en plein cœur du territoire traditionnel Anishnabe (Abitibi), alors qu’il n’y a ni eau courante et ni électricité et un seul bloc sanitaire pour l’ensemble de la communauté ? », s’interroge le chef de l’APNQL, Ghislain Picard. Il faut également rappeler que culturellement, de nombreux aînés demeurent dans leur famille, en présence d’enfants. 

« Les Premières Nations sont parmi les plus défavorisées sur le plan économique mais elles prioriseront toujours la santé et la sécurité de leurs familles. Nous disposons de savoirs, de manières et de solutions qui, à l’instar de ceux des autorités en santé publique, peuvent contribuer à prévoir le pire pour mieux guérir, grâce à des efforts mutuellement investis et à la concertation dans la prise de décisions prudemment appliquées selon les réalités locales », a conclu le chef de l’APNQL. 

Des commissions et organisations régionales de l’APNQL sont à l’œuvre pour présenter aux communautés des modèles de cadres de référence sur lesquels elles pourront s’appuyer dans le déploiement de leurs mesures locales de déconfinement. 

*Pour consulter la liste complète des facteurs de risque : https://covid19.cssspnql.com/wp- content/uploads/2020/04/Facteurs-de-risque-COVID19-FR.pdf 

À propos de l’APNQL L’Assemblée des Premières Nations Québec-Labrador est l’organisme régional politique qui regroupe 43 chefs des Premières Nations au Québec et au Labrador. Suivez l’APNQL sur Twitter @APNQL. 

From the outset, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) wishes to express its support for the Innu Nation’s position and asks, like the Innu Nation, that any decision aimed at easing containment measures be made in concert with the First Nations on their traditional territories. 

Furthermore, the AFNQL wishes to point out that the fierce struggle led by the leaders and all the personnel responsible for emergency measures, health, social services and public safety of many First Nations in Quebec is likely bearing fruit to this day. With less than thirty cases that have now tested positive where most are recovered and zero deaths, we note with great satisfaction and pride that the urgent taking charge of communities for the well-being of their population is working in a remarkable way, despite the pitfalls that some have encountered in terms of funding of measures, harmonization and linkage with the Quebec network and the federal government. 

Furthermore, the AFNQL welcomes the decision of the Minister of Education and Higher Education who announced yesterday that any decision regarding the conditions for the gradual resumption of elementary school classes in First Nations and Inuit communities remains under the authority of these communities. 

In addition to the education sector, and although Minister Roberge’s announcement shows respect for the exercise of our jurisdictions, the AFNQL reminds that the involvement of First Nations leaders in the decision-making process of easing any containment measures remains fundamental and essential. The reason is simple: the high prevalence of numerous risk factors* that make our populations much more vulnerable to the pandemic. Again, this is a matter of life and death. 

The AFNQL has repeatedly reiterated that the rate of chronic diseases is higher among First Nations than in any other segment of society, that overcrowded housing makes physical distancing extremely difficult, if not almost impossible. “For example, how can measures be applied in a community like Kitcisakik, in the heart of the Anishnabe traditional territory (Abitibi), when there is no running water or electricity and only one sanitary block for the entire community? “asks the Chief of the AFNQL, Ghislain Picard. It should also be remembered that culturally, many elders remain with their families, in the presence of children. 

“First Nations are among the most economically disadvantaged, but they will always put the health and safety of their families first. We have knowledge, ways and solutions that, like those of public 

health authorities, can contribute to foresee the worst in order to heal better, thanks to mutually invested efforts and concerted action in making decisions that are cautiously applied according to local realities,” concluded the Chief of the AFNQL. 

Regional commissions and organizations of the AFNQL are working to present the communities with model frameworks which they can use as a reference in the deployment of their local deconfinement measures. 

*For a complete list of risk factors: https://covid19.cssspnql.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Facteurs-de-risque-COVID19- ENG.pdf 

About the AFNQL The Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador is the political organization regrouping 43 Chiefs of the First Nations in Quebec and Labrador. Follow us on Twitter @APNQL 

Future generations of Fort McKay First Nation and Indigenous communities across Canada will look back on this historic day affirming the power of Treaty rights

The Fort McKay First Nation is deeply moved by the decision today from the Court of Appeal to rescind the Alberta Energy Regulator’s approval of Prosper’s Rigel Project. In its unanimous decision, the Alberta Court of Appeal overturned AER’s approval of the Prosper Rigel Project and directed that any future proceeding must reconsider the project, and AER must consider the ‘honour of the Crown.’ The court also strongly implied that Alberta should complete the Moose Lake Plan expeditiously, and that the plan must be figured into any future resource decisions.

Today’s decision takes an unequivocal stand on Indigenous treaty rights. Judge Greckol said in a concurring opinion that augments the unanimous decision that:

“The honour of the Crown may not mandate that the parties agree to any one particular settlement, but it does require that the Crown keep promises made during negotiations designed to protect treaty rights. It certainly demands more than allowing the Crown to placate [Fort McKay First Nation] while its treaty rights careen into obliteration. That is not honourable. And it is not reconciliation.”

From the start, Fort McKay wanted only fair consideration of our 20-year struggle to protect Moose Lake as the last intact piece of wilderness in our traditional territory, even as it was encroached upon by oil sands development. This decision provides everyone with clear direction and increases the certainty industry requires to make sound business decisions.

As we celebrate this momentous decision that acknowledges Moose Lake is a sacred landscape, Fort McKay–like all Albertans—continues to focus our efforts to manage the impact of the global collapse of oil prices on our businesses and ensure the health and safety of our community members through the COVID-19 pandemic response.

This decision states clearly that true reconciliation requires genuine respect and consideration of Treaty rights. Reconciliation must be co-created through partnerships with Indigenous communities moving forward. This clarity will support our efforts to help economic recovery by setting new ground rules for engagement.

We anticipate Alberta will approve the Moose Lake Plan in the late spring and that Fort McKay will have finally obtained the government’s commitment to jointly protect Moose Lake. We look forward to crossing the finish line with Minister Nixon, Premier Kenney and the entire Cabinet to complete the Moose Lake Plan.

Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe wishes to remind Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement that COVID-19 support programs being offered by the Nunatsiavut Government will only be made available to those who meet specified eligibility criteria. 

The support programs currently in place will assist seniors (60 years and older) on fixed incomes, persons with disabilities, single parents, low income families, and individuals and families who have had their employment hours cut or have been laid off because of the pandemic. 

“During these difficult and uncertain times, it is important that we help those who are most in need,” says the President. “Beneficiaries who do not meet the eligibility criteria of any of these programs are asked to be mindful of the pressing needs of others who are having a difficult time making ends meet during this pandemic.”