AFN regional chief drops child welfare portfolio, blames NCCC for lack of willingness to work on file

APTN News has learned that Assembly of First Nations regional chief Joanna Bernard is resigning her child and families portfolio and is blaming the National Children’s Chiefs’ Commission (NCCC). It is the latest twist in the ongoing saga to reform the child welfare system. In her Sept. 12 resignation letter obtained by APTN, Bernard who is from New Brunswick, said she finds herself in a “difficult position, but upon reflection of last week’s assembly, I feel I have no other choice.” Bernard took on the position of portfolio holder for child and families in April 2025. The AFN is a lobby organization that represents more than 600 First Nations across the country. Each territory elects a “regional chief” who assumes responsibility for a portfolio that can include infrastructure, justice – and in Bernard’s case, First Nations child welfare. The regional chief said she did so “with extreme passion and drive to see us working together with the National Children’s Chiefs Commission (NCCC) for the betterment of our children.” The NCCC was formed after chiefs at a Calgary gathering voted to reject an offer by the federal government for billions to reform the First Nations child welfare system. Instead, leaders ordered the AFN to stay out of negotiations with Canada and instead, formed the NCCC. But so far, Canada has refused to deal with the commission stating it only has a mandate to work with parties associated with the discrimination case before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (Tribunal). Bernard wrote, “since then, we have encountered several issues, including a lack of respect, misinformation, misunderstandings, and a lack of willingness to work together on behalf of the NCCC.” In the letter, Bernard writes, “Commissioners on the NCCC have routinely accused the AFN of withholding resources, ignoring the onus should be on Canada to provide the funding and that the AFN has indeed supported the NCCC to obtain the funds they need by submitting and supporting their funding proposal to Canada.” Bernard has rescheduled two interviews with APTN over the resignation letter. In a statement to APTN, AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said “we have received Regional Chief Bernard’s letter with her personal decision to resign as portfolio holder for Child and Family Services. We respect her decision and thank her for all her work on this file to improve outcomes for First Nations children and families, a goal we all share.” The statement from the national chief said portfolio holdings for the AFN executive committee will be shuffled later this fall. Woodhouse Nepinak called on Canada to “urgently meet its commitments under the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal orders and work with First Nations to end discrimination once and for all.” Bernard’s resignation comes as Canada is calling on the Federal Court to overturn a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal order directing it to work with First Nations to reform the child welfare system, and for a new panel to be struck to determine next steps in the nearly two-decade-long legal battle. In August, the Tribunal urged Canada to return to the table to listen to the NCCC, the AFN and the Caring Society in order to avoid the possibility of an “imposed final solution.” In that ruling, the Tribunal said it wanted a comprehensive long-term reform plan on child welfare submitted within four months for its consideration. More to come. Continue Reading