By Sarah Rae

Federal ministers and FSIN demonstrate improved relationship

May 26, 2016 | 5:00 PM

National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Perry Bellegarde said having three federal ministers speak at the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations spring assembly sends a strong message about nation to nation communication in Canada.

“When you bring more political people in, it makes more relevance, more responsiveness here for our chiefs to have direct access to the ministers of the Crown,” he said.

The FSIN spring assembly took place Wednesday and Thursday in North Battleford and saw chiefs from the 74 Saskatchewan First Nations and hundreds of others participating and observing. Three federal ministers, MaryAnn Mihychuk, Amarjeet Sohi and Ralph Goodale, spoke before the assembly.

“We’re working together, we’re re-building the relationship and having three ministers of the Crown come to the FSIN assembly is huge,” Bellegarde said. “It’s key that we work collaboratively together, we have strong ties, communication ties, cooperative ties and we’re going to have stronger legislation and policy moved forward.”

On Wednesday Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour announced $100 million in funding to combat unemployment in indigenous communities. The funding will go toward various employment, job training, and skill development services for indigenous people.

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Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, said the collaboration seen at the FSIN assembly is something they want to build on.

“Strong, stable, inclusive communities require partnership,” he said.

Sohi added infrastructure is the foundation for strong communities, and federal investments in infrastructure in indigenous communities will contribute to a stronger Canada. Only by working together, nation to nation, will they achieve any real progress, he said.

Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, spoke about how Prime Minister Trudeau and the ministers are working hard to rebuild the relationship between indigenous peoples and the Canadian government.

“I think it is significant that at this assembly you have three federal ministers here to listen, to understand, to do the consultation and to help build that new relationship,” he said.

Several speakers throughout the assembly said indigenous organizations like the FSIN have to take advantage of the federal government finally making an effort to listen to them, and push for changes in policy and attitudes.

“It’s like that saying: you’ve got to make hay when the sun shines,” Bellegarde said. “We’ve got to take advantage of this strong working relationship we have with this government and once that happens, the gap closes and Canada as a country wins.”

sarah.rae@jpbg.ca

@sarahjeanrae