Media Advisory - AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde to Hold News Conference Following National Day of Action on First Nations Child Welfare

OTTAWA, Nov. 1, 2017 /CNW/ - Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde will hold a news conference to discuss the National Day of Action on First Nations Child Welfare. The National Day of Action takes place on Parliament Hill from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on November 2, 2017, and the news conference will follow at 12 noon. The National Day of Action is a call to the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada to immediately and fully implement the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) orders on First Nations child welfare and Jordan's Principle.

DATE:	Thursday November 2, 2017
TIME:	12 Noon ET
LOCATION:	National Press Theatre 150 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ON

The AFN and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society took the extraordinary step of jointly filing a complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Commission on February 23, 2007, alleging the provision of First Nations child and family services by the Government of Canada was flawed, inequitable and discriminatory under the Canadian Human Rights Act. In a landmark decision, the CHRT ruled in January 2016 that the federal government was in fact discriminating against First Nations children and families on reserve. The CHRT also found that Canada had failed to fully implement Jordan's Principle, which is meant to ensure equitable access to government services available to other children in Canada. To date, the Tribunal has issued three non-compliance orders following up on their ruling and calling on Canada to respect and take action on its decision.

The AFN is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada.  Follow AFN on Twitter @AFN_Updates and #Fairness4kids

SOURCE Assembly of First Nations

Jamie Monastyrski, Press Secretary - National Chief's Office, 613-241-6789, ext. 116, 343-540-6179 (cell), [email protected]; Alain Garon, Bilingual Communications Officer, 613-292-0857 (cell), [email protected]; Michael Hutchinson, Communications Officer, 613-299-6330 (cell), [email protected]