Assembly of First Nations and National Congress of American Indians renew Declaration of Kinship and Cooperation

At the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York this week, the Assembly of First Nations delegation had meet with the National Congress of American Indians to discuses their renewed Declaration of Kinship and Cooperation.

That declaration was signed in a ceremony on March 24 this year, and revitalizes the original declaration signed between the two groups in Vancouver in 1999. It enshrines a shared commitment to advocate for the rights of first peoples on both sides of the Canada – US border.

As the theme of this session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was “Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health, including in the context of conflict.” the meeting between the AFN and NCAI focused on the topics of Indigenous free trade and border mobility with a particular emphasis on removal of tariffs on Indigenous trade, as well as facilitating the international trade of medicines, cultural, and traditional items related to Indigenous health.

Both the AFN And NACI said they also recognize the important role of youth in these efforts, and highlighted a youth led session on Indigenous mental wellness, addictions and health.

As part of the renewed kinship agreement, representatives from the Assembly of First Nation will meet regularly with their counterparts from the National Congress of American Indians in the months ahead to better coordinate their advocacy for First Peoples, in both Canada and the US, and on the world stage.