National Aboriginal Affairs Working Group established to improve conditions for all Aboriginal peoples
Manitoba gov't press release
Aboriginal Affairs Ministers To Pursue National, Co-Ordinated Effort On Missing, Murdered Women: Robinson
October 30, 2009
New Working Group will also Address Education, Economic Development
In Toronto today, Culture, Heritage, Tourism and Sport Minister Eric Robinson, acting minister of Aboriginal and northern affairs, wrapped up meetings with his federal and provincial counterparts, as well as leaders of five national Aboriginal organizations, with a unanimous commitment to pursue a co-ordinated national effort against the exploitation of Aboriginal women.
“The national tragedy of our stolen sisters knows no provincial boundaries and urgently requires a national strategy,” said Robinson. “I am pleased my colleagues from coast to coast to coast have agreed with me by adding this issue to the agenda of the next meeting of our working group in April 2010.”
In addition, ministers and leaders agreed to concentrate on the priority areas of Aboriginal education, skills training and economic development at future meetings.
“My predecessor, the late Oscar Lathlin, firmly believed that education and training are the key to future prosperity of Aboriginal people,” said Robinson. “I couldn’t agree more, and this commitment from our national, provincial and Aboriginal partners sends a strong message that these issues so vital to the economic growth of our province require the attention of all levels of government.”
This week was the first time in four years representatives of all senior levels of government and national Aboriginal organizations have met to set priorities.
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Alberta gov't press release
Aboriginal issues at meeting of ministers and national Aboriginal leaders Federal / provincial / territorial / Aboriginal meeting first in four years
October 31, 2009
Edmonton... Gene Zwozdesky, Minister of Alberta Aboriginal Relations joined Aboriginal affairs ministers and Aboriginal leaders from across Canada at a meeting in Toronto where they outlined priority areas to work on together to improve conditions for all Aboriginal peoples.
Hosted by Ontario, the October 29 meeting focused on a broad range of issues facing First Nation, Métis and Inuit people in Canada. Ministers and leaders confirmed that establishing an Aboriginal Affairs Working Group is critical to improving socio-economic conditions for all Aboriginal peoples. They chose two priority areas to be dealt with through the working group’s new process - education and skills training; and economic development. With respect to education, ministers and leaders agreed to work with ministers of education on specific priority areas identified through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, in addition to agreements already in place.
The creation of the Working Group fulfills a direction from all premiers arising from discussions last summer in Regina with the five national Aboriginal organization leaders. The Working Group reiterated the premiers’ call for a First Ministers’ Meeting on Aboriginal issues, and committed to report its recommendation to them just before the next council of the Federation meeting in August 2010. Aboriginal ministers and leaders at the Toronto meeting agreed to meet again in spring 2010.
Aboriginal economic development was also the focus of Gathering for Success, a historic three-day international symposium on Aboriginal economic development hosted by the Alberta government and Treaty 7 Management Corporation last June in Banff. Aboriginal leaders and other Aboriginal affairs ministers and officials from across Canada attended the conference and their discussions were an important catalyst for the October 29 meeting.
“Delegates to Gathering for Success generally agreed that while plans and initiatives are going well, there would be great value in all representatives meeting regularly to coordinate these local and regional successes,” said Minister Zwozdesky. “They also agreed that there would be tremendous value in the provincial and territorial ministers and Aboriginal leaders sharing their priorities with the federal government. The Government of Alberta is pleased that Gathering for Success played such a pivotal role in bringing Aboriginal issues to the national stage.”
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