Assembly of First Nations takes Trudeau to task over racism, rights and reconciliation [Video]

Grieving mothers whose children were killed by police made emotional pleas for the prime minister to act on Thursday, as Justin Trudeau found himself on the defensive during the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) annual winter meeting in Ottawa.

First Nations leaders pressed Trudeau on everything from racism in policing, broken promises from 2015 and a lack of consultation, after the prime minister took the stage for a speech flanked by the national chief and a small entourage of cabinet ministers.

“Back in 2015, I made a promise to change the approach of the federal government,” Trudeau said.

The reaction was lukewarm, with some accusing the prime minister of breaking that promise by relying on the AFN to pass flawed legislation without consulting chiefs directly.

“You cannot delegate your legal duty to consult to the AFN, manipulating our consent,” said Chief Kelsey Jacko of Cold Lake First Nations in Alberta, …