Declaration of the elected women of the AFNQL and Quebec Native Women on the protection and safety of First Nations Women and Children and of all other members of our nations

According to the United Nations Declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples, women and children of First Nations must be fully protected from all forms of violence.

The Elected Women of the AFNQL and Quebec Native Women speaking with one voice declare solemnly that the principle of zero tolerance applies to all forms of violence, no matter who the perpetrators may be, against First Nations women and children and against all other members of our Nations.

In accordance with the Declaration on the rights of First Nations children signed on June 10, 2015 in Essipit and initiated by the AFNQL Chiefs’ table:

• All children are created with the inherent right to be safe and nurtured to ensure their safety and health;
• Every child has the right to be free of physical and emotional abuse, to be protected from sexual abuse and exploitation;
• Our children have the right to be free from all forms of violence, no matter by whom it is committed;
• Respect of these rights is fundamental to learning about their history, their culture, their language and their spiritual traditions as well as for their healthy and safe development.

To preserve the collective integrity of the AFNQL Chiefs’ table and ensure our responsibility to promote the defence of the rights and interests of the members that we represent, the Elected Women and Quebec Native Women of Quebec declare that any elected official, male or female, against whom have been laid any allegations or accusations of violence against children and/or women and/or the other members of our nations, should withdraw from the AFNQL Chiefs’ table for the sake of ethics, integrity and respect, especially for the members of the community he or she represents, until the allegations have been withdrawn or judgement rendered.

The Elected Women of the AFNQL and Quebec Native Women declare that are united and in solidarity regarding their duty to transmit to, teach, and prepare our children to assume their productive and honorable roles in society and to carry out that duty, children must be able to rely on their community with confidence and security. They also state that children have the right to live in healthy, autonomous and violence-free communities, conducive to their development.