Wendake, May 2, 2023 — Two years ago, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) and the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission (FNQLHSSC) responded favorably to the long-awaited report from the Special Commission on Children’s Rights and Youth Protection (SCCRYP). Today, it is in the same spirit that they welcome the preliminary results of the work of the FNCYRSPC Monitoring Committee.
As Ghislain Picard, Chief of the AFNQL, states: “The proposals of the CSDEPJ Monitoring Committee echo the message we have been hammering home in the public arena for years, namely the importance of recognizing the right of First Nations to self-determination. In the assessment released today, it is written in black and white that the Quebec government should not be asking itself what it must do to “allow us to create our own laws,” but rather what it must do to “not prevent First Nations from creating their own laws and what it must do to enable their full implementation.” We are counting on the support of the CSDEPJ Monitoring Committee to put pressure on the Quebec government to respect its commitments.
“We are in the best position to ensure the future and well-being of our nations, our families, and our children through child and family services designed according to our realities, cultures, and values. It is high time that the Quebec government recognize and respect our expertise and competence. This begins with a position that is favorable, across the board, to the full and complete application of the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Children, Youth, and Families,” adds Derek Montour, Chair of the FNQLHSSC Board of Directors.
About the AFNQL
The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador is the political organization representing 43 First Nations chiefs in Quebec and Labrador.
About the FNQLHSSC
The First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission is a non-profit organization that supports First Nations in Quebec in achieving their goals in terms of health, wellness, culture, and self-determination.