National Assembly of Remote Communities

About the National Assembly of Remote Communities

Mission Statement

WHEREAS Canada has proposed as of October 29, 2021, to enter into Global Resolution Negotiations in respect of the settlement of outstanding claims against Canada in the context of child welfare;

WHEREAS a draft Agreement-in-Principle has circulated among the parties involved in those Negotiations;

WHEREAS that circulated draft Agreement-in-Principle refers to "Geography (National Rural/Remoteness)" as a factor to be considered in any settlement resulting from the Negotiations;

WHEREAS that circulated draft Agreement-in-Principle significantly understates the impact of remoteness on many of the communities involved in the Negotiations;

WHEREAS remoteness is not simply a factor of "geography";

WHEREAS a Remoteness Quotient Table underway between Canada and Nishnawbe Aski Nation represents the only lndigenous-sighted data-driven economic model in respect of remoteness currently under development or available for consideration in the Negotiations;

WHEREAS the work of that Remoteness Quotient Table is not referenced or considered in the draft Agreement-in-Principle; and

WHEREAS it is a source of collective concern among the herein members that remoteness appears to be an afterthought in the draft Agreement-in-Principle;

THEREFORE, the regional leadership, in the spirit of a united voice on issues impacting remote lndigenous communities, hereby express their intention to unite under an assembly of common interest formally established as the National Assembly of Remote Communities. This association of common interest is intended, for the first time, to create a unified voice on issues of unique concern to remote communities.

The immediate and pressing mandate of NARC is to ensure that a strong and united voice is heard at a national level in respect of the grossly inadequate factoring for remoteness by way of a "top-up" of fifteen percent, and to ensure that appropriate governance around issues of common concern to remote communities takes place.

While it is acknowledged that NARC has been established in the context of the Global Resolution Discussions around the settlement of outstanding claims against Canada in the context of child welfare; NARC is intended to represent an advocacy voice across sectors, including but not limited to health, education, and community safety.

The charter members of NARC are dedicated to working together with all lndigenous brothers and sisters in furtherance of ensuring that appropriate redress takes place in respect of the discrimination perpetrated by Canada.