Premiers, native leaders meet.
Canadian News Facts, March 16 1999 vol 33 no 6 p5843 (English)

Aboriginal leaders left a meeting in Regina March 22 with six of the country's premiers in possession of some paper pledges but no guarantees.

The native leaders got a big piece of what they wanted when the premiers and territorial leaders backed their bid for a role in implementing the new social-union accord [see 5815-1].

However, there was no agreement on what that role might be and the whole plan is dependent on federal approval.

The premiers agreed that aboriginals should be involved "wherever such implementation has implications for aboriginal people." But they stopped short of endorsing a proposal by Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, for a formal aboriginal role.

Native leaders were upset about being left out of the social union pact, signed Feb. 5, which set out rules and responsibilities for delivering health and social programs across the country.

They want a say in the delivery of social services that affect them, such as housing, education and job creation.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Feb. 22, but was postponed because only three premiers could attend [see 5827-1]. Absent this time were the premiers of Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.

Native groups represented included: the Assembly of First Nations, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, the Metis National Council, the Native Women's Association and the Inuit Tapirisat.

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