©Assembly of First Nations FB

Chiefs at the Assembly of First Nations meeting in Ottawa passed an emergency resolution Thursday calling on the federal government to provide immediate support to Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, and commitments to rebuild homes and infrastructure. Members of Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, also known as Collins First Nation, about 250 kilometers north of Thunder Bay, fled in boats as a wildfire engulfed the community Monday. According to the resolution, the federal and provincial governments are failing northern Ontario First Nations who are self-evacuating due to a lack of communication and evacuation support from emergency management organizations. …The resolution said despite commitments from Ontario and Canada, the only support and contact the community has yet received is from the Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 First Nations in Ontario. …Many First Nations chiefs gave emotional statements in support of the resolution, many whose own communities have also had to evacuate due to wildfires.