NSSHFC CEO at the United Nations!
June 13, 2025 Akwesasne, Ontario
Blog from the CEO
In April 2025, Wayne Garnons-Williams, the Chief Executive Officer of the NSSHFC was in New York City for the 2025 United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Wayne wasn’t through the lobby yet and he met up with Policy lead for International affairs for National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Rochelle Morgan-Verdin and then, Director of Justice and Special assistant to the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Kyrie Tristary.
“Looking forward to hearing about both protecting the rights of Indigenous Children in relation to the 60’s Scoop and Indigenous to Indigenous trade and economic development.” - Wayne
In April 2025, Wayne Garnons-Williams, the Chief Executive Officer of the NSSHFC was in New York City for the 2025 United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Wayne wasn’t through the lobby yet and he met up with Policy lead for International affairs for National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Rochelle Morgan-Verdin and then, Director of Justice and Special assistant to the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Kyrie Tristary.
“Looking forward to hearing about both protecting the rights of Indigenous Children in relation to the 60’s Scoop and Indigenous to Indigenous trade and economic development.” - Wayne
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Day one representing the NSSHFC National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada and IITIO - International Inter-tribal Trade & Investment Organization at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Wayne started with an 8 am smudging of the Canadian delegation in the gardens of the United Nations building followed by a reception at Canada House with a talk from Dr. Wilton Littlechild. At the opening session Alukie Kotierk a well-known champion of Inuk rights was elected as presiding chair over the 2025 United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Ambassador Bob Rea, head of the Canadian delegation, spoke on the floor of the UN General Assembly about reconciliation in Canada and leading the way in embracing United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples..
“So many lovely change makers assembled in one room including Assembly of First Nations Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict - my heart soared with hope for the future of Indigenous peoples around the world.” - Wayne
Day two representing The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada and IITIO - International Inter-tribal Trade &Investment Organization - at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Wayne started with a healthy 5:30am walk over Brooklyn Bridge (daily exercise for work life balance) followed by a full schedule at the UN Plenary Session of discussions on “Implementing UNDRIP, including identifying good practices and addressing challenges”. Wayne was Grateful for the interventions of Ambassador Francisco Cali Tsay, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples during this session. Proud of the work accomplished in Canada with the passing of the UNDRIP Act making UNDRIP domestically enforceable. Promises made by Denmark and EU for northern Indigenous Peoples to uphold the spirit and intent of Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in UNDRIP.
Day three representing The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada and IITIO - International Inter-tribal Trade & Investment Organization - - at the United Nations Permeant Forum on Indigenous Issues.
A wonderful morning walk around the general UN neighbourhood of midtown in sight of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.
“Always Great to see Dr. Ron Ignace, Head Commissioner for Indigenous Languages!” – Wayne
Full day at the UN Plenary Session of discussions on “Financing of Indigenous Peoples’ work and participation across regions and systems”. The focus in this area was mining and its impact being very harmful to Indigenous lands, waters and ecosystems which destroy means of the exercise of usufructuary rights of hunting, trapping, fishing and gathering of the animals and plants that die off, or a means of the effective use of FPIC (free prior and informed consent) to minimally impair Indigenous lands, waters and ecosystems.
“Difficult and complex discussion about the good bad and ugly in the global mining sector with some hopeful agreements between mining organizations and Indigenous Peoples. Hard to find hope in the misery of mining impacts on Indigenous Peoples traditional territories. Difficult but important discussions were had.” - Wayne
Indigenous Peoples must be the architects of their own development in accordance with their right to self-determination and be given the funding and tools to do so.
The afternoon session for the thematic dialogue on the financing of Indigenous Peoples’ work and participation across the multilateral and regional system continues. The session focus is financing and Indigenous Peoples.
Day four representing The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada and IITIO - International Inter-tribal Trade &Investment Organization - at the United Nations Permeant Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Wayne's day started with a work - life balance early morning walk of the High Line (an abandoned elevated rail line converted by community members into a peaceful walkway).
Today was an offsite event day. So many NGOs and IPOs and Nation States organizing and hosting wonderful offsite seminars and events. An officiate highlight for Wayne was hosted by the Canadian National Association of Friendship Centres | Association Nationale des Centres d'amitié. This offsite session was entitled “Living UNDRIP: Indigenous Rights in Urban Spaces”. The panelist were regional Friendship Center directors from across Canada, exploring how the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) applies to urban Indigenous realities. These panelists led the assembled crowd through a discussion on the challenges, policy gaps and opportunities for advancing Indigenous rights in cities.
"This was particularly interesting for the National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada, as the majority of our Survivors are urban off reserve/outside their communities of origin. Great discussion!" -Wayne
Wayne had an excellent working dinner with Dr. Lindsay Robertson, Indigenous law professor emeritus and special advisor to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Rights.
"His insights on various international Indigenous law and Indigenous rights issues are tactical gold! “ – Wayne
Final day (day five) representing The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada and IITIO - International Inter-tribal Trade & Investment Organization - at the United Nations Permeant Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Wayne's morning New York exercise was a bike ride around Central Park - "beautiful day with all the cherry blossom trees in bloom and warm spring like temperatures." – Wayne
Today’s Fifth day at the UNPFII plenary session was a discussion on the six mandated areas of the Permanent Forum (economic & social development, education, health, and human rights) with reference to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development (UNSDG).
The focus of the discussion centred around the impact of colonization and armed conflicts on Indigenous peoples’ rights. Most Nation States took their time up supporting free prior and informed consent (FPIC) in UNDRIP especially in relation to resource development on traditional territories, while most IPO’s and NGOs pointed to failures of Nation States and large resource extraction companies’ failure adhere to FPIC in UNDRIP. Quite the contrast between Nation States and the NGO/IPO groups!
Wayne hosted a wonderful working dinner with Cheyenne Stonechild, a class action lead plaintiff for the Millennium scooped children and daughter of a 60’s Scoop Survivor, from the Musowpetung First Nation, Treaty 4, Saskatchewan, Emma Rawson-Te Patu, President, World Federation of Public Health Associations, who is Maori from Aotearoa (New Zealand), Dr. Allison Kelliher, the first Koyuk on Athabascan physician from Alaska and president of Snowcreek Medicine, representing an NGO/IPO. They had Great discussions around Indigenous child rights to proper medical care, and right to Indigenous community love and support as opposed to state institutional child welfare.
Conversation was lively and just the beginning of the dialogue!! Thank you, Cheyenne, Emma and Allison, for an insightful evening – Wayne
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For more information on the Foundation please visit our website: https://www.sixtiesscoophealingfoundation.ca/
#NSSHFC #UNDRIP #scoopedchildren #IPETCA #millenniumscoop #sixtiesscoop #UNrightsofthechild #IITIO #UNPFII #UNPFII2025