Assembly of First Nations National Chief is encouraging municipalities to strike up relationships with First Nations in their areas.
Perry Bellegarde spoke to delegates attending the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa.
Bellegarde reminded the audience that half of Canada’s Indigenous community live in urban areas.
“And so looking at ways and means to make sure that there’s adequate housing and adequate education and healthcare services to those people really becomes incumbent upon all of us to find ways to work together.”
Bellegarde is also calling for municipal support in efforts to get senior levels of governments to address outstanding Indigenous issues. They include a call for changes to the education curriculum.
“Teach about treaty rights and inherent rights and about Aboriginal rights. About the Indian act and about the residential schools. Teach that.”
The Ford government earlier this year changed the curriculum put in place by the previous Liberal government by making Indigenous courses in high schools as electives rather than being mandatory.
