The day began with presentations from the AFN Veterans Council, Women’s Council and Youth Council. LaBillois, co-chair of the youth council, said she was deeply concerned about the actions of some leaders at the convention the day before. “AFN walked out yesterday when a resolution was introduced that did not address the drama of the day and refused to stand for the issues that continue to plague one of our communities in this room,” said LaBillois, who is Mi. «kmaw from Eel River Bar in New Brunswick and Listuguj in Quebec. National Assembly of First Nations Chief RoseAnne Archibald following the results of a vote on an emergency resolution that would have continued her suspension on July 5. A total of 252 First Nations chiefs and representatives voted against the resolution, while 44 voted in favor. (Andrew Lee/CBC) On Tuesday, chiefs and proxies spent most of the afternoon debating an emergency resolution to suspend National Chief RoseAnne Archibald. A total of 252 First Nations chiefs and delegates gathered voted against the resolution to continue Archibald’s suspension. 44 leaders and proxies voted in favor, along with 26 abstentions. Co-chair Wina Sioui kicks off the second day of AFN’s annual general assembly on Wednesday. (Ka’nhehsí:io Deer/CBC) The majority of the crowd left after the results of the resolution, as the family of Frank Young addressed the assembly. The five-year-old went missing in April from his home on the Red Earth Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. “When our youth council saw a room of empty chairs to support him, our hearts broke,” LaBillois said. He pleaded with chiefs and the public to remember Young and all other missing First Nations children. “Every time you decide to fight each other, you forget the children and young people you once swore to protect,” LaBillois said. Archibald’s suspension was the subject of three contingency plans that will be presented to the assembly on Tuesday. Only one was discussed before the day was over. The other two draft emergency resolutions were moved to Wednesday. But Chief Harley Chingee of the McLeod Lake Indian Band told CBC News he rejects the no-confidence motion. Harley Chingee is leader of the McLeod Lake Indian Band. (Ka’nhehsí:io Deer/CBC) “I didn’t want to waste people’s time discussing this issue,” he said. “There’s an internal investigation going on right now with the national head and the HR department. We’re going to let the investigation continue and wait for the report to come out this summer. Once we get that, I think we’re going to put the resolution back on the floor at December meeting in Ottawa.” The other emergency resolution, moved by Chief Wendy Jocko of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, Ont., calls for the immediate activation of Archibald’s email, phone and other AFN privileges, and for the cooperation of the national chief and executive committee “heal relations” between the two. The resolution was tabled until Thursday. Arthur Noskey is the Grand Chief of Treaty 8 in Alberta. (Ka’nhehsí:io Deer/CBC) Treaty 8 Grand Chief Arthur Nosky is calling for a forensic audit of the AFN over concerns the financial relationship between the AFN and Canada undermines Treaty rights. “Actions speak louder than words,” Noski told reporters outside the convention. “There are issues plaguing the Assembly of First Nations organization. We agree that this not-for-profit management agency should be fully audited, but its partner — Canada — should also be audited.” He said the top two priorities according to the treaties are education and health care.
“With this organization, the AFN, Canada negotiates with them about how many program dollars come to an area. Now the dominant leaders, the chiefs, are fighting over how much their nation should go. This is not a process based in a treaty,” Noskey said. . A number of other resolutions are expected to be debated and voted on throughout the day dealing with housing, the call for a national inquiry into the Sixties Scoop and residential schools. Plenary hearings will also be held on the recent First Nations Child and Family Services settlement announcement and Jordan’s Principle Class Action, First Nations policing as core services legislation and the United Nations Bill of Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the National Action Plan Act.