TORONTO – On Monday, Aug. 24, 2015, the province of Ontario and the First Nations chiefs of Ontario signed a historic political accord to create a bilateral relationship that recognizes the treaty relationships between the two sides.
The Ontario premier and First Nations leadership will meet twice a year to advance their efforts on shared priorities. There are three important parts to the accord:
- The accord affirms that First Nations have an inherent right to self-government and that the relationship between the province and nations must be based on respect for this right.
- Both parties are committed to work together on issues of mutual interest, including resource benefits sharing, the treaty relationship and jurisdictional matters.
- Lastly, the path has been set for further reconciliation between First Nations and the people of Ontario.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynn has also agreed to formally and fully apologize for the treatment of aboriginal children in the province’s residential schools and the taking of children from First Nations communities in the 1960s.
Ontario Regional First Nations Chief Isadore Day said at the signing that treaty rights and the right to self-government are no longer in question. “What’s in question is how do we start to rearrange the relationship with all levels of government to suggest that we have a rightful place at the table, and that we do need to start building those systems so that we can start taking responsibility in our communities,” he said.
The accord may be read on the province’s website. Click here.
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