Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Brings Forward Key Issues to Minister Marc Miller, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
April 6, 2023
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba
AMC Communications
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba – The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) Grand Chief Cathy Merrick and other First Nations leaders from Manitoba met with the Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs (CIRNA) in Ottawa today to discuss how our respective governments can work together on key issues from a nation-to-nation perspective.
AMC tabled the 2023-2024 Manitoba First Nations Alternative Federal Budget, an alternative process intended to facilitate dialogue and collaboration with the Government of Canada. Sufficient resources are needed for First Nations in Manitoba to achieve self-determination. Canada must dismantle past colonial funding relations and eliminate the use of non-First Nation intermediaries in program funding for First Nations.
AMC also requested additional resources to address the backlog of status registrations; other resources for MMIWG2S+ and Missing and Murdered Indigenous men; funds to host an Indigenous Identity Fraud Forum for First Nations in Manitoba on Ending Self-Identification Practices that is intended for AMC members, First Nations Leadership and First Nations citizens negatively impacted by Indigenous identity fraud and self-identification practices; lands and resources and other issues as identified by Chiefs in attendance.
“We require our own processes and tables that respect the autonomy of our Nations, our historical relationships with the federal government,” said Grand Chief Cathy Merrick. “AMC needs resources to continue to play a facilitation role and support mechanism and advocacy role for our leadership in ensuring those nation-to-nation agreements are recognized, honoured and implemented .”
For more information, please contact:
Communications Team
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
Email: media@manitobachiefs.com
About the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
The AMC was formed in 1988 by the Chiefs in Manitoba to advocate on issues that commonly affect First Nations in anitoba. AMC is an authorized representative of 62 of the 63 First Nations in Manitoba with a total of more than 151,000 First Nation citizens in the province, accounting for approximately 12 percent of the provincial po ulation. AMC represents a diversity of Anishinaabe (Ojibway), Nehetho / Ininew (Cree), Anishininew (Ojibwe-Cree), Denesuline (Dene) and Dakota Oyate (Dakota) people.