AFN National Chief agrees to meet MCK

03/20/2014

 The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) wishes to inform the community that Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Shawn Atleo has agreed to meet with grand Chief Michael Ahríhron Delisle, Jr. on the issue of the proposed First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act.

"The issue of education has not gone away, nor have the critical concerns we have regarding the role played by Chief Atleo and the Assembly of First Nations in the development of the revised First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act, as the AFN jointly announced with the federal government on February 7th," said Grand Chief Delisle. "We are pleased to announce that he has agreed to meet me in person to discuss our concerns."

The meeting date will be announced once it has been finalized.

"We have to remain extremely vigilant in the matter of education, and in protecting Kahnawà:ke’s right to govern our own education system," Grand Chief Delisle added. "I haven’t seen any indication of the federal government changing its course to proceed with their education legislation. In fact, just last week we have witnessed the Harper government taking away First Nations administered post-secondary funding for teacher certification and moving it directly to the post-secondary institutions instead."

"We will continue to do everything in our power to protect our education and our Inherent Rights," he concluded. "It is in this spirit that we will sit together and work toward finding solutions."