Indigenous chiefs to vote on Canada child welfare reform deal [Video]

OTTAWA –

The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is urging chiefs to vote in favour of a landmark child welfare deal, saying she doesn’t think a better agreement would be possible under a different federal government.

First Nations chiefs are gathering in Calgary today as they prepare to vote on a $47.8-billion child welfare reform agreement with Ottawa.

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The deal was struck in July between Canada, the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Assembly of First Nations after a nearly two-decade legal fight over Canada’s underfunding of on-reserve child welfare services.

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal said that was discriminatory and tasked Canada with coming to an agreement with First Nations to reform the system, along with compensating children who were torn from their families and put in foster care.

Cindy Woodhouse …