Assembly of First Nations opens annual general assembly in Fredericton

The 40th annual general assembly of the Assembly of First Nations opened in Fredericton on Tuesday. The three-day gathering of chiefs from across the country commenced with traditional ceremonies in the morning, followed by an official welcome and plenary session at the Fredericton Convention Centre.

CBC News was there to capture the key moments.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde, New Brunswickregional Chief Roger Augustine and St. Mary's First NationChief Allan Polchies canoed across the Wolastoq, also known as the St. John River, in traditional Wolastoqey birchbark canoes to open the Assembly of First Nation's 40thannual general assembly.

The three chiefsstarted in St. Mary's at the old powwow grounds and paddled across to the greenery at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, where a small village of vendors has been set up.

The Sisters of the Drum group welcomed the three chiefs to the south side of the river singing Wolastoqey songs.

The chiefs were accompanied by the Brooks family from Sitansisk (St. Mary's First Nation)who make the birchbark canoes and helped with the restoration of the Grandfather Ukwiten(canoe), which is on display in the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

As part of the ceremony, the chiefs offered tobacco to the Wolastoq. The river is significant to the Wolastoqiykand means "the beautiful and bountiful river."All of the six Wolastoqey communities in New Brunswick are along the Wolastoq.

The two birchbark canoes were used last year when the Wolastoq Grand Council did a ceremony to reclaim the name of the Wolastoq.

Polchies, Augustine and Bellegarde stand and watch as the Sisters of the Drum sing and elder Maggie Pauldoes a water ceremony to welcome all the assembly delegatesand pray for those who don't have clean drinking water.

Pictured are two members of the Sisters of the Drum group, who sang the "Wolastoq Song" as part of the ceremony. It's asong about the river thatwas written byGwen Bear.

The Brooks family took part in the water ceremony. Water was poured into small cups and given to the people in attendance to pray on.

Bellegarde thanks elder Paul for the water ceremony and welcoming him to the territory of the Wolastoqiyik.

Tobacco is a sacred medicine to many Indigenous nations andis used for prayer. It is placedon the drums because they are used to help people heal through song.

After the ceremony was completed, the chiefs and those in attendance made their way to the Fredericton Convention Centre where the assembly was set to begin. The chiefs were welcomed in the door by the Chief Harold Sappier Memorial Elementary School drum group from Sitansisk.

Bellegarde carriedthe Assembly of First Nations banner for the grand entry of the assembly's opening ceremonies.

Rosalie Labillois, newly elected AFNYouth Council co-chair, is pictured preparing towalk in for the grand entry.

The Muskrat Singers sang an honour song and a flag song to welcome in the grand entry parade. Muskrat Singers member Percy Sacobie designed the 40th annualassembly's official poster, which is on display at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

Carolyn Bennett, minister of CrownIndigenous relations and northern affairs Canada,was in attendance and spoke later in the day.

New BrunswickAboriginal Affairs Minister Jake Stewart followed Bennett in the grand entry and also spoke during the opening remarks.

"We need to invest in education and reviving languages"Stewart said during his opening remarks.

Wolastoqey elder Imelda Perleyand St. Mary's First Nation Chief Alan (Chicky)Polchies attended the event. Perleygave the opening prayer following the grand entry.

"We are in the year of Indigenous languages," Bellegarde said. "We need to do more and push for a decade of Indigenous languages around the world."

All photos by Logan Perley