OTTAWA — An Indigenous chapter in NAFTA mustn’t be allowed to fall by the wayside, regardless of the challenges currently confronting negotiators, says Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer also announced Tuesday that the trade talks are being extended into 2018. Bellegarde, who is part of an advisory committee on the talks, said he wants to ensure officials understand the importance of including Indigenous Peoples, since they were left out of original NAFTA negotiations in the 1990s. “I’m seizing the opportunity to make sure this doesn’t fall off the table.”Bellegarde said there is support for the idea of an Indigenous chapter in the trade deal. Ottawa has been exploring how provisions in the trade agreement can support Indigenous economic development while it also considers how to make the pact compliant with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Source: National Post October 17, 2017 17:48 UTC