Feds, First Nations to Focus on Education, Economy

A new pact aims to usher in an era of co-operation to tackle mounting problems on reserves across Canada.

The federal government and the Assembly of First Nations have pledged to work together to improve the lives of Canada's aboriginal population by focusing on education, reserve governance, and finding jobs for one of the poorest demographics in the country. The Canada First Nation Joint Action Plan marks a significant shift toward co-operation between the government and the AFN, whose youthful leader, Shawn Atleo, has been keen to translate his popularity among First Nations people into tangible results. John Duncan, minister of the newly christened Department of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs, welcomed the pact as a “huge generational change” after decades focused on treaty rights and land claims.