
Here's what leaders on Walpole Island are looking for this federal election
CBC
Justice and reconciliation are some of the key things leaders and band members of Walpole Island First Nation are looking out for in this upcoming federal election.
The First Nation's Chief Charles Sampson said he's looking for just resolutions around land claims and respect for international frameworks like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. "Most importantly, we're looking at dealing and addressing the residential school issue and these children that died unnecessarily when taken away from their families," Sampson said. "We want justice for them." Hundreds of unmarked graves have been discovered at former residential school sites over the last several months. Walpole Island First Nation is also in the middle of battling a drug epidemic within the community. Though he did not mention this as an election issue, Chief Sampson did say that he has been holding discussions with federal government on the matter. He said he's hoping for help from upper levels of government to help increase its police force in order to help clean up the community and close down a number of drug houses on the reserve.More Related News