Renewing the relationship between Canada and Indigenous people is what the federal government wants to focus on.
Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous Affairs, stated that while in Prince George attending the BC Assembly of First Nations(BCAFN) 14th Special Chiefs Assembly.
For us to build a stronger bond we have to confront racism says Bennett.
“It is an interpersonal thing, it can’t really be theoretical. Racism is taught, we have to unteach it, but a lot of that needs to be person-to-person.”
.@Carolyn_Bennett says we have to confront the racism that is happening from coast to coast | @BCAFN #CityofPG pic.twitter.com/nb7zQw2veP
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) March 8, 2018
It was important for Bennett to attend the Special Chiefs Assembly for her to be able to speak directly to people about how the government can improve reconciliation and to help provide justice which has been missing in most communities.
“The issue for me is the same when I was here on the pre-inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. We know that families here did not feel justice had been served,” says Bennett.
“But we’ve also heard this in other systems, child welfare system, the education system, the health system. It is about fairness and about people having their rights protected as in what’s suppose to be in the constitution, that it would be equal.”
The federal government announced in its budget they were committing 4.7 billion over the next five years to support Indigenous children and families.
The BCAFN Special Chiefs Assembly will resume again tomorrow at 8am in the Ramada Hotel.