NPC leader, Perry Bellegarde, tells local leaders to decide on Trans Mountain's approach

Perry Bellegarde, newly re-elected as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, says that he will not intervene directly between split members on Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Instead, it is up to individual communities and titleholders to take a stand on the project.

"One of the most important rights, because we have this right to self-determination, is the right to say" yes. "The right to say" no, "said Mr. Bellegarde in an interview on Thursday.

"It is not up to the National Chief of the AFN, the Executive or any other body within the NPC to try to dictate that.

The federal government bought the pipeline and its expansion project between Alberta and British Columbia, which has mbadive protests and lawsuits and outraged some First Nations on the way.

Hundreds of AFN delegates gathered in Vancouver this week for the Annual General Meeting of the AFN Organization, which included this year the election of a national leader.Mr. Bellegarde won a second three-year term on four rivals

He stated that the opponents had nothing to fear from the leaders favorable to the pipeline: "Our leaders who are very pro economically will do nothing to jeopardize the land.

The First Nations communities present for the rally included a combination of those who support the expansion of the pipeline and those who oppose it. the rally, the National Youth Council of the NPC issued a letter to the organization's executive and chiefs seeking support in the fight against the pipeline.

Bellegarde stated that the AFN was not entirely out of the way, pointing out that the intervener status had been granted to him when the BC government went to the BC Court of Justice. Appeal to verify if bitumen can cross BC

"We want to ensure that First Nations jurisdiction is respected and that our rights and title are respected, as well as the right to self-determination, including prior informed consent, "he said. 19659004] Without providing details, Mr. Bellegarde stated that full implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as promised by the federal government, could help to solve the problem.