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Self-government, self-sufficiency, cultural healing and a new relationship with Canada are essential to achieve balanced rights for Natives, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples announced.

The commission made the announcement with the release of its second discussion paper, Focusing the Dialogue, two weeks ago.

The Touchstones for Change were the result of the first round of talks held throughout Canada since last spring, commission co-chair George Erasmus said.

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The release of the second report by the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples has prompted one of the commission's members to resign.

Allan Blakeney resigned April 2, the day of the report's release, because he disagreed with the commission's methodology.

The former Premier of Saskatchewan said the seven-member commission was pursuing its mandate to listen to Native problems but was not dealing with solutions.

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The release of the second report by the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples has prompted one of the commission's members to resign.

Allan Blakeney resigned April 2, the day of the report's release, because he disagreed with the commission's methodology.

The former Premier of Saskatchewan said the seven-member commission was pursuing its mandate to listen to Native problems but was not dealing with solutions.

Page 3

The release of the second report by the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples has prompted one of the commission's members to resign.

Allan Blakeney resigned April 2, the day of the report's release, because he disagreed with the commission's methodology.

The former Premier of Saskatchewan said the seven-member commission was pursuing its mandate to listen to Native problems but was not dealing with solutions.

Page 3

The release of the second report by the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples has prompted one of the commission's members to resign.

Allan Blakeney resigned April 2, the day of the report's release, because he disagreed with the commission's methodology.

The former Premier of Saskatchewan said the seven-member commission was pursuing its mandate to listen to Native problems but was not dealing with solutions.

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Native bands along the Fraser River watershed in British Columbia have signed an agreement amongst themselves to restore order to their fishery.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Vancouver March 25, Lower Fraser Fishing Authority spokesman Ernie Crey said. The agreement between the 97 bands throughout the Fraser River watershed, including those on the Thompson, Nechako, Adams and other tributary rivers, is designed to keep neighboring bands from infringing on one another's fishing rights.

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Native bands along the Fraser River watershed in British Columbia have signed an agreement amongst themselves to restore order to their fishery.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Vancouver March 25, Lower Fraser Fishing Authority spokesman Ernie Crey said. The agreement between the 97 bands throughout the Fraser River watershed, including those on the Thompson, Nechako, Adams and other tributary rivers, is designed to keep neighboring bands from infringing on one another's fishing rights.

Page 2

Native bands along the Fraser River watershed in British Columbia have signed an agreement amongst themselves to restore order to their fishery.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Vancouver March 25, Lower Fraser Fishing Authority spokesman Ernie Crey said. The agreement between the 97 bands throughout the Fraser River watershed, including those on the Thompson, Nechako, Adams and other tributary rivers, is designed to keep neighboring bands from infringing on one another's fishing rights.

Page 2

Native bands along the Fraser River watershed in British Columbia have signed an agreement amongst themselves to restore order to their fishery.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Vancouver March 25, Lower Fraser Fishing Authority spokesman Ernie Crey said. The agreement between the 97 bands throughout the Fraser River watershed, including those on the Thompson, Nechako, Adams and other tributary rivers, is designed to keep neighboring bands from infringing on one another's fishing rights.

Page 2

The preservation of Aboriginal languages will be the acid test for Canadian human rights during the United Nations' Year of Indigenous Peoples, the grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations said.

"Successive Canadian governments tried to destroy our languages and cultures through systems such as the residential schools," said Ovide Mercredi.

"All over the country, our people are waking up to the fact that their languages have been taken away from them. Now we want the federal and provincial governments to help get them back."