jvernment ot Gourernement es Northwest Territories Territoires du Nord-Ouest MAR 071 2016 Chief Dwight Dorey National Chief Congress of Aboriginal Peoples 867, BOUL. ST. LAURENT BLVD. OTTAWA, ON K1K 3B1 President Dawn Lavell-Harvard Native Women's Association of Canada 1 NICHOLAS STREET OTTAWA ON KIN 7B7 Dear Chief Dorey and Ms. Lavell-Harvard: Thank you for your letter of February 22, 2016. As the current Chair of the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group (AAWG), I have been asked to respond on behalf ofall Premiers. As you know, the March 2, 2016 meeting with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis leaders has been arranged at the call of the Prime Minister, Premiers were not consulted on whether there would be a meeting with Indigenous leaders, nor on which leaders would attend. Premiers agree that the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and the Native Women's Association of Canada have been important voices at the table and play a key national role in advancing Indigenous issues, alongside the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Métis National Council. Premiers will meet with all five NAO leaders, as has been tradition, in advance if their annual summer meeting. e/a25 Provincial and territorial Aboriginal Affairs Ministers Participate alongside all five NAOs in the forum of the AAWG. This engagement has proven to be productive and effective, and we look forward to this level of direct collaboration with your organizations on matters of mutual interest in the future. Took forward to meeting with you in May in Yellowknife for the AAWG. ieee Robert R. McLeod Premier c. The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau Prime Minister of Canada Premiers Provincial / Territorial Ministers Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs National Aboriginal Organization Leaders Mr. Gary Bohnet, Principal Secretary Mr. Martin Goldney, Deputy Minister Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relation