ABORIGINAL JUSTICE IMPLEMENTATION COMMISSION

"responsible for recommending priority areas for government action with respect to those areas for which the Manitoba Government is accountable and responsible; recommending practical, cost-effective and attainable implementation and funding strategies for the activities for priority action within existing Canadian law; reporting on the current status of implementation of the recommendations of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry; and communicating and consulting with Manitobans in relation to the setting of priorities and development of implementation strategies". (O/C 459, 1999)

The Commissioners are Wendy Whitecloud and Paul Chartrand. Elders are Eva McKay and Doris Young.

The Commission views its tasks as:

Providing a report on the current status of implementation of the recommendations of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in the areas for which the Manitoba Government is responsible and accountable.
Consulting with Manitobans on priority areas for action.
Consulting with Manitobans on implementation strategies.
Providing the Manitoba Government with recommendations on practical, cost-effective and attainable, implementation and funding strategies in the priority areas as those recommendations are developed.

In carrying out its work, the Commission is required to keep in mind the Framework Agreement, entered into between Canada and First Nations and the Reports of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

Further information on the Commission, including its terms of reference, first and second quarterly reports can be found at the Commission’s website at www.ajic.mb.ca.

2. Activities top

The Commission made no recommendations during this quarter, but has forwarded a draft recommendation on the Young Offender’s chapter of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry to the Government of Manitoba, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Manitoba Metis Federation for comment.

The Commission continued to work in the priority areas it had established through consultation with Manitobans. Those priority areas are:

Child Welfare

Equity Issues

Police

Community Justice

Early Support and Crime Prevention Measures for Youth

Violence towards Women and Children

Aboriginal Rights

Northern Flood Agreement

Treaty Land Entitlement

Métis Issues

Continuing Consultations: top

During the last quarter the Commission or Commission staff met with the following organizations or persons:

Minister of Justice, Honourable Gord Mackintosh,
Minister of Northern Affairs, Honourable Eric Robinson,
Minister of Conservation, Honourable Oscar Lathlin,
Gerry McNeilly, Director of Legal Aid Manitoba,
The Manitoba Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Council,
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Grand Chief Dennis White Bird,
Grand Chief Margaret Swan, Southern Chiefs Organization,
Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg, Chairperson Wayne Helgasson,
Louis Goulet and Carolyn Brock, Manitoba Corrections,
Professor Rick Linden,
Professor Paul Thomas,
Heather MacKnight, Assistant Deputy Minister, Intergovernmental Affairs,
Healthy Child Initiative Staff
Peter Dubienski, Assistant Deputy Minister, Family Services.

Other Activities top

The Commission has posted a consultation paper on an Aboriginal Justice College on its website and intends to post other consultation papers as they come available. The Commission continued its deliberations and meetings with representatives of Aboriginal organizations, government officials and experts to develop recommendations in its priority areas. The Commission has also retained a consultant to conduct a survey of the political leadership in Aboriginal organizations to comment on Commission priorities and tentative approaches.

3. Next Steps top

Introduction

The Commission’s current mandate expires on March 31, 2001. The Commission, over the next quarter, will be engaged in continuing consultations and in preparing a report to provide recommendations to the Government.

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