The head of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, has informed chiefs that a draft deal with the federal government on child-welfare reforms is worth $47.8 billion, more than double the initial promise of $20 billion. The closed-door session took place during the AFN's annual general assembly in Montreal. Woodhouse Nepinak emphasized the political risks of not accepting the deal and wanted chiefs to discuss the offer before voting on it at a special assembly in the fall. The federal government made the original promise of $20 billion as part of a $43 billion settlement offer resulting from a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling that Ottawa discriminated against Indigenous children by underfunding child welfare services. The other $23 billion was set aside for compensating those harmed by the system. The AFN's negotiations with Ottawa have been criticized by four regional chiefs, who raised concerns about the secrecy of the deal. Woodhouse Nepinak responded that all chiefs would be able to see the draft agreement before the vote. The spokesperson for Woodhouse Nepinak did not immediately comment on the $47.8 billion figure. [bd215c6f]