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To Members of the Assembly of First Nations Executive, First Nations Leaders and Community Directors:

Based on direction received from the AFN Executive and its portfolio committees, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Secretariat has initiated a national public education campaign for Canadians, whose objective is to:

Generate public awareness and support that First Nations rights and issues are of critical importance to Canada’s future, and must be addressed in the next Federal Budget and Election (anticipated winter-spring 2007).

The campaign will be launched in collaboration with a major global and national effort to eliminate poverty with a special focus on First Nations communities and the struggle we are facing: The Make Poverty History campaign - http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/.

This campaign (visit http://www.afn.ca/article.asp?id=2903 for more information) is the first main activity being undertaken under one of four key themes of the Platform from which I received my mandate at the July 2006 Annual General Assembly:

1. Asserting Rights;

2. Implementing Treaties;

3. Eliminating Poverty;

4. Improving Relations with Other Governments.

The “Make Poverty History Campaign for First Nations” is based on three main premises:

First Nations poverty is the greatest social injustice in Canada.

• The cost of First Nations poverty is a cost to Canada. Maintaining a ‘broken system’ is a much bigger cost than recognizing First Nations governments, respecting their Constitutional and Treaty Rights, and their plan for Creating Opportunities and Building on Successes.

A decade of failures of the Canadian Government to act has resulted in billions lost.

• Next month is the tenth anniversary of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and the one-year anniversary of the First Ministers Meeting on Aboriginal Issues. The federal government cannot point to any significant progress achieved nationally during that time; positive changes have been initiated by communities for communities and only by overcoming the barriers imposed onto them by external governments.

First Nations must have the ability to make the decisions that affect their lives and plan for their own future.

• Self-government is the key to eliminating poverty and ensuring full First Nations opportunity to protect and benefit from Canadian lands and resources.

Key events targeted by the national campaign include:

• October 3: Public Forum with Canadian Leadership on the Protection of International Indigenous Rights with the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
• October 15: Marches for “Making Poverty History”;
• October 17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty;
• November 21: RCAP Tenth Anniversary;
• November 24: Make Poverty History for First Nations national event at the Rogers Centre Pow Wow in Toronto at 2:30 p.m.;
• November 25-26: One-Year Anniversary of Kelowna;
• November 28: Aboriginal Health Summit hosted by Premier Campbell;
• December Special Chiefs Assembly with a focus on the results to date of the National Campaign and where future directions will be discussed among First Nations leaders.

This campaign cannot be successful unless YOU are part of this collective effort – communicating to the new minority government and to all Canadians that First Nations will not be ignored and our rights must be fully recognized and respected.

Here are ways in which you can support this national campaign:

• Send out the template letter and op-ed attached, tailored to highlight your community’s circumstances and needs;
• Distribute campaign materials to your partners and community members, and encourage them to become involved;
• Meet with your government Members of Parliament to emphasize the urgency of the situation;
• Contact your AFN Regional Office to identify any potential campaign events;
• Participate in the November 24^th event at Toronto’s Rogers Centre Pow Wow.

If you have any suggestions or questions, please contact your AFN Regional Office or Bryan Hendry, AFN Communications Director (tel: 1-866-869-6789, extension 229; cell: 613-293-6106; bhendry@afn.ca). More information is posted on www.afn.ca.

I thank you in advance for your support in this challenging environment. We must stand strong together as First Nations governments.

Sincerely,

National Chief Phil Fontaine