News From Around The Nations

AFN National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo Resigns, Picard Appointed as Spokesperson

(Ottawa, ON) – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, in a statement on May 2nd in Ottawa, ON resigned as National Chief. Atleo cited the struggle over the First Nations Education Act as his reason, saying:

“The current proposal on education is the latest attempt and a sincere, constructive effort on the part of Prime Minister Stephen Harper to take a step forward. I have fought for this work and to achieve this mandate. This work is too important and I am not prepared to be an obstacle to it or a lightening rod distracting from the kids and their potential. I am therefore, today resigning as National Chief. I will, as I have all of my life, continue this struggle in other ways. I want to thank all of those who have quietly worked for education and for our kids.”

The AFN Executive met May 5 and 6 in Ottawa, and agreed to appoint AFN Regional Chief for Quebec-Labrador Ghislain Picard as spokesperson for the Executive until a National Chief is elected or until such time the Executive determines otherwise

Valcourt’s office putting First Nation education bill on hold

OTTAWA–The Harper government will put the First Nation education bill on hold until the Assembly of First Nations clarifies its position on the bill in the wake of the resignation of Shawn Atleo. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt’s office said in a statement to APTN that Bill C-33 would be put on hold after Monday’s second reading vote in the House of Commons.

Valcourt’s office said the bill, called the First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act, would provide “the structures necessary to help First Nation students reach their potential and become full participants in the economy.”

RCMP report 1,200 murdered or missing aboriginal women in Canada

The RCMP revealed last Thursday that nearly 1,200 aboriginal women have been murdered or gone missing in Canada in the past 30 years.

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson said most of those women — about 1,000 — are murder victims. The rest, about 186, are disappearances, still logged in police files across the country, and in a majority of those — some 160 missing person cases — the RCMP says authorities “ought to” suspect foul play. The others have been determined to be disappearances for “reasons unknown.” It’s the first time the RCMP has compiled statistics across all Canadian police forces — federal, provincial and municipal.