National Chief urges thoughtful dialogue, not destruction

OTTAWA (July 2, 2021) – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde says thoughtful dialogue is the way through the frustration and anger many are feeling after the revelations of the past few weeks related to recoveries at residential school sites across the country.

“As a Cree leader whose father and grandfather and several more family members attended Indian Residential Schools, I fully understand the frustration and anger many are feeling after the revelations of the past few weeks have laid bare the miseries of the Residential School system. These are tragedies of an almost unimaginable nature for most Canadians. We need to understand what happened and learn to speak openly about it. Destroying property will not help us build the peaceful, better and accepting Canada we all want and need. I believe in processes that unite rather than divide. Violence must be replaced by turning to ceremony and all that our old people taught us about peaceful co-existence and mutual respect. Thoughtful dialogue, not destruction is the way through this.”

The AFN is the national organization representing First Nations people in Canada. 

―30―

For more information, please contact:

Kelly Reid                                                              Lori Kittelberg
Communications Officer                                          Communications Officer
Assembly of First Nations                                        Assembly of First Nations
613-292-0857 (mobile)                                            604-340-3117 (mobile)
kreid@afn.ca                                                               lkittelberg@afn.ca