(The following article is from the June 16-30, 2008, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine said he was "encouraged and energized" by the thousands of Canadians who marched and rallied at the May 29 National Day of Action events across the country, and by the fact that organizations representing millions of people endorsed the AFN's "7-Point Plan for change."
    
     "Today was a tremendous show of support for a better future for First Nations children and a better life for First Nations people," Fontaine said. "But this day will only truly be a success when the government and the Prime Minister listen to this call for action from millions of Canadians and agrees to work with us on a real plan for real change and real progress."

     Issued in late May, the AFN's 7-Point Plan has been endorsed by the Canadian Labour Congress with 3.2 million members, the KAIROS ecumenical network which includes the mainstream Christian denominations, the Sierra Club of Canada, the Canadian Union of Public Employees and many others.

     The largest May 29 events included rallies by over 1,500 in Ottawa. Participants included First Nations Elders and youth, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, the President of the National Association of Friendship Centres, Ray Zahab of the OneXOne Foundation, student organizations, labour unions and a delegation of children from Attawapiskat First Nation in Ontario, who have been calling on the government to build a school in their community, where students have to work out of makeshift portables in spite of being promised a school for many years.

     At a similar event in Toronto, marchers were joined by delegates from the Canadian Labour Congress convention. Over 500 rallied in Winnipeg, and about 300 in Vancouver. In total, over twenty Day of Action events were held across the country, many more than in 2007.

    "Now is the time for action," the National Chief stated. "We can continue to prop up a broken system that only perpetuates poverty and pessimism, or we can seize the moment to invest in a new approach and a new optimism that moves us forward into a future of hope, harmony and happiness for all Canadians."