The National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations has announced that he won’t be seeking re-election next July.
Perry Bellegarde, who is from Saskatchewan’s Little Black Bear First Nation and is also a former Chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, became the National Chief in 2014.
Reviewing the past six years, Bellegarde lists the Indigenous Languages Act and the Child and Family Services Act being implemented among the AFN’s accomplishments.
Bellegarde said when he was first elected that an Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was a priority, and it has since been accomplished with Calls to Justice underway.
He adds that six years ago, Canada was still fighting the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, and last week Legislation was tabled to implement the Declaration.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls Bellegarde a tireless leader and advocate for First Nations.