Joint statement on ministers’ meeting

The Voice of Canada News:

Scott Fraser, B.C.’s Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and Carolyn Bennett, federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, have released the following statement.

The two ministers met in Victoria to talk about finding a peaceful resolution to the blockades across the country and other issues arising from the concerns of Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs.

“There is no doubt that the blockades and other events of the past several weeks have been, and continue to be, a significant challenge. We agree that dialogue is the best and preferred way to deal with these issues. We share a deep commitment to relationships with Indigenous peoples based on affirmation of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership. We acknowledge that this is a difficult time for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and are determined to work with all our partners to find the solutions.

“We have reached out through a joint letter to the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs about meeting with us at the earliest opportunity and are hopeful we can all work together to establish a process for ongoing and constructive dialogue and action to address the issues at hand.

“Our primary focus is everyone’s safety and ultimately, a peaceful resolution to the situation.”