There is a great deal of activity underway at the Assembly of First Nations as we prepare for the AFN 2010 Annual General Assembly to be held July 20-22 in Winnipeg. The theme for this Assembly is Where the Nations

Meet and it is only appropriate that our Assembly is being held in Winnipeg, a long-time gathering place for our people.

I was recently in Winnipeg for the inaugural event of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, an opportunity for all Canadians to hear the tragic and, at times, heroic stories of our people who survived the residential schools experience. It was a moving experience and a powerful reminder of the real and ongoing need for reconciliation between First Nations and Canada.

That is the work we have before us: reconciliation, creating a better future for our people and our children. That is the work we will be discussing at the Annual General Assembly.

For the AGA, we are pulling together an agenda that provides a forum for dialogue within and amongst our nations and fosters an environment for consensus-building on matters of critical importance, such as moving forward to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, taking concrete action on the Treaties, the Call to Action on First Nations Education, health, citizenship, climate change and rebuilding our economies.

The year 2010 was declared an International Year of Action by First Nations leaders at our December gathering. The AGA is a time to set out mandates and direction for the coming months, as directed by our Chiefs. Discussions will be based around the Four Pillars of our Agenda for Action, which speaks to supporting our communities and families; exercising and implementing our rights; supporting First Nation governments and nation rebuilding and advancing economic and environmental interests.

We will also host two very exciting highlevel panels at this year’s AGA. A panel on "Indigenous Nations uniting across North America" will examine opportunities for alliances, Nation-building, and restoration of international trade and commerce. This panel will include participation from the National Congress of American Indians as well as hopefully a representative from U.S. President Obama’s administration. The second panel – "Indigenous Territories" - will focus on ways to implement First Nations land rights while ensuring our people share in the benefits of resource development.

We want to make our Assembly as open as possible, and to that end we will be broadcasting proceedings on the AFN website free of charge, to those who want to watch from home.

A number of side events are being planned around the Assembly including the Fun Run, Walk & Roll on Sunday, June 18, which will introduce IndigenACTION, a sports & fitness initiative of the AFN Youth Council. As well, the AGA host, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakinak, is organizing a number of other events and activities, such as a Youth Gathering at the University of Winnipeg during the weekend of June 17-18. Everyone is welcome to join in the "Grandest of Grand Entries" on July 19th which will begin at the Forks at 6 p.m. and then take to the streets of Winnipeg. Our website will include updates on other exciting events that are being confirmed for the week.

Our goal for this year’s AGA is to continue building on our strong agenda, and bring our collective and coordinated positions to enhanced and sharply focused advocacy this fall and beyond. As leaders, we commit to investing our best insight and energies into this work, always with a view to creating a better future for our peoples and strengthening our Nations.

A full agenda for the AGA is available on website at www.afn.ca. It is subject to change but will be updated regularly.