Last Updated: Thursday, July 12, 2007 | 1:03 PM AT
CBC News
Aboriginal leaders say they're upset Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice didn't come to their annual Assembly of First Nations meeting in Halifax.
Rick Simon, the AFN's Atlantic regional chief, said Thursday that the Conservative government's failure to send Prentice is a snub not only to the chiefs hosting the event, but all chiefs in Canada.
His comments came on the final day of the meeting, after the leaders of two other major federal political parties spoke to delegates.
Both Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion and NDP Leader Jack Layton pledged their support for First Nations leaders in their fight to get more money for education and health care on reserves.
But while Simon acknowledged it was nice to hear from the two, he pointed out that neither is in a position of power to carry through with any promises.
Prentice's parliamentary secretary, Rod Bruinooge, who attended the AFN meeting on his behalf, said the minister was unable to come because he was in Europe for a commemorative event for the Second World War, in which his grandfather fought.
The 28th annual general assembly began on Tuesday by passing a resolution deeming the AFN-organized aboriginal National Action Day on June 29 a success and outlining plans for raising awareness of aboriginal issues in the year ahead.
The First Nations chiefs spent Wednesday spelling out the conditions of their involvement in the federal government's plan to create a new independent tribunal to resolve land claims dispute when negotiations fail.