The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says the only leaders to discuss abolishing the Indian Act during a landmark meeting last week were Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and Prime Minister Mark Carney. Kinew, who is Anishinaabe, called for the act to be abolished during the historic gathering of federal, provincial and First Nations leaders in Ottawa.
The Anishinabek Nation, which is composed of 39 Ontario First Nations and boasts roughly 70,000 members, rejected the invitation to discuss with the minister, saying there’s no needed for new legislation and called on the government to simply accept Senate amendments to Bill S-2 that would end the second-generation cut-off.
Two Indigenous parliamentarians say talk of abolishing the Indian Act is being used as a distraction by the federal government to shift attention away from two other pieces of legislation affecting Indigenous rights.
The First Nations Leadership Council says British Columbia is at a crossroads with the incoming Conservative government that could result in either a "battleground" or reconciliation. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has said he will repeal DRIPA, or the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, because the legislation has failed but he promised to work with First Nations in the...
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he will instruct his ministers to work with First Nations to move Canada beyond the Indian Act — which he said could mean reforming it or abolishing it altogether. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with First Nations chiefs and premiers in Ottawa today, Carney said the elimination of the Indian Act has been sought...
First Nations leaders are gathering in Ottawa on Sunday for ceremonies ahead of a historic meeting on Monday with some premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney. Monday's meeting will the first such gathering since the Kelowna Accord talks of 2005, which brought premiers and then-prime minister Paul Martin together with Indigenous leaders to discuss ways to close the socioeconomic gaps...
For decades, public discourse regarding Indigenous economies in Ontario has been framed through a narrow lens of dependency or isolated community-level initiatives. Our firm’s comprehensive report, Indigenous Economic Contribution Analysis of Ontario, changes that narrative entirely. By integrating Statistics Canada’s Indigenous Peoples Economic Account with provincial input-output models, new data show that Indigenous economic activity is a robust, widely distributed...
Two American litigation funders allege Alberta separatist leader Jeffrey Rath and his firm made “false, inaccurate, and misleading” representations to keep receiving millions of dollars to finance two First Nations lawsuits against Ottawa – even after his firm had been fired and replaced. The allegations are contained in a lawsuit filed Thursday by Delaware-based Diriba Investments and Western Springs Investments...
Prime Minister Mark Carney says it's important to reflect on a "dark chapter" in Canada's history and honour the children who survived residential schools and those who never made it home. He made the comment today, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, at a ceremony featuring drumming and traditional dancers at Fort Edmonton Park.
Indigenous leaders struck a resolute tone Wednesday as the country marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation following reports of a white supremacist demonstration in a First Nations community in the B.C. interior. "Survivors have fought for decades to defend their truths and confront the distortion of history, while our legal system still fails to recognize denialism for what...
Long-term, sustained funding and a “Building Canda strong” strategy that doesn’t neglect or overshadow Ottawa’s commitments to Indigenous Peoples are among the important steps towards reconciliation as the country faces a time of economic uncertainty, according to advocates. “In recent years, the federal focus may have shifted toward economic growth and our shared sovereignty, but the federal government must never...
Assembly of First Nations regional chiefs will join premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney for a rare meeting in late October -- the first such meeting between chiefs and first ministers in decades. A source shared details of a Wednesday planning meeting held by the Assembly of First Nations on the condition they not be named because they were not...
The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is warning Prime Minister Mark Carney against "abusing" his majority government powers to pass his new major projects bill, which she says could affect First Nations rights. The Building Canada Strong Act shifts the responsibility for reviewing many big projects, such as pipelines and power transmission lines, from the Impact Assessment...
The Yukon Residential School Missing Children Project is apolitical and managed by First Nations. It is not managed by the federal government. The Project is building the database of files about the children interned in the residential institutions, including those who died and went missing. We don’t really know how many children entered into the institutions, were moved to other...
The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs is calling on Ottawa and Alberta's government to halt efforts to advance the West Coast pipeline, saying expanding the oil industry will accelerate climate change and disasters. The group says on International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples today, it also wants to reaffirm that it is against the pipeline because government has...
The interim commissioner of Indigenous languages says she knows her office has work to do on rebuilding trust with Indigenous communities, and she is participating fully in a government-ordered audit. Candice St-Aubin, a former senior assistant deputy minister of strategic policy with Indigenous Services Canada, was appointed interim commissioner for a term of up to 90 days, or until a...
Resource projects in Canada – including mines, pipelines, and energy infrastructure – often require engagement with affected First Nations before they can proceed. When consultation is mishandled or ignored, the consequences extend well beyond regulatory delays: projects can face costly litigation, years of uncertainty, lost investment, or even cancellation. Billions of dollars of economic activity and thousands of jobs can...
Canada’s minister of energy and natural resources told a room of chiefs on Thursday that in his mind “there is no good way to build major projects without First Nations partnership and leadership.” Amid tension over Prime Minister Mark Carney’s promise to meaningfully consult Indigenous communities, while also angling to expedite approvals for new major energy and infrastructure projects in...
A handful of federal ministers are expected to address hundreds of First Nations chiefs as they gather in Ottawa today. They'll be speaking in front of the Assembly of First Nations' annual general meeting about public safety, the economy and natural resources development and social services for communities. The Assembly of First Nations is a national advocacy body that takes...
First Nations chiefs say they'll oppose any actions by federal and provincial governments to expedite major projects that would undermine their rights and environmental protections. They passed two resolutions at the Assembly of First Nations annual general meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday confirming that stance and committing the AFN to opposing legislation or policies that dilute their rights or undermine...
First Nations leaders attending the Assembly of First Nations annual general meeting in Ottawa today are expected to debate the terms of an upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney and the premiers and territorial leaders. In her opening remarks to the gathering Tuesday, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said a planned meeting this fall between...
An Indigenous couple’s remains, repatriated to Canada six years ago, have yet to find a final resting place because their “spiritual belongings” are being held by museums in the United Kingdom. Six objects associated with Demasduit and Nonosabasut, among the last of the Beothuks of Newfoundland, are being retained by the National Museums Scotland and by the British Museum. Thanks...
A planned meeting this fall between first ministers and chiefs from across the country was hard to secure and must not be the only one of its kind, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said Tuesday. In her opening remarks at the AFN's annual general assembly in Ottawa, Woodhouse Nepinak told chiefs the Prime Minister's Office has...
The federal government’s unpredictable, fragmented approach to funding acts as a constraint on First Nations that are seeking to build long-term governance and community capacity.
Hundreds of First Nations chiefs are gathering in Ottawa today for the Assembly of First Nations annual meeting. They'll be debating 53 separate resolutions during the three-day gathering. They include resolutions on the federal government's major projects agenda, the state of First Nations child welfare, Indian Act status and calls for the Vatican to rescind a series of papal decrees...
A project to ensure Order of Canada recipients better reflect Canada’s diversity appears to have hit a cultural barrier that could limit Indigenous participation.
Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in Nunavik today to meet with Inuit leaders along with half a dozen of his cabinet ministers, including those who handle the energy, public safety and defence files. The Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee brings together federal cabinet ministers and Inuit three times a year, with the prime minister attending one of those meetings. This meeting...
Indigenous community members have encouraged federal officials to reflect on how the Order of Canada can overcome its "deep colonial symbolism and associations," says an internal government presentation on efforts to modernize the Canadian honours system. The April presentation, prepared for the Order of Canada Advisory Council, says recent feedback indicates that accepting the honour "could bring feelings of discomfort...
First Nations leaders and parliamentarians say the Liberals’ reintroduced clean water legislation is the latest example of what they describe as a “pick-and-choose” approach to the federal government’s duty to consult—invoking constitutional obligations to delay or dismiss action when it’s convenient, and sidelining them when decisions are already made.
Several Ontario First Nations are set to become owners of a new nuclear reactor after striking a commercial partnership with the federal and provincial governments. Ottawa and Ontario are providing loan guarantees of $700 million to the seven Williams Treaties First Nations east of Toronto that will turn into equity for one of the four small modular reactors that are...
Conservative MP Billy Morin says he will spend the summer talking to Indigenous leaders about encouraging people to vote in the Alberta referendum. Albertans are set to vote in October on whether they want to stay in Canada or prefer to hold a future binding referendum on separating from the country. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he and his caucus...
The federal government has ordered a financial audit into transactions and activities at a landmark Indigenous languages office after receiving anonymous complaints. Canadian Heritage didn't elaborate on the allegations against the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages, an arm's-length office set up five years ago after it was recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says proposed changes to major project development rules "are not acceptable" and risk trampling on the rights of First Nations. The federal government is proposing giving authority to review interprovincial pipelines and transmission lines, and offshore renewable energy projects, to the Canada Energy Regulator instead of the Impact Assessment Agency of...
The federal government has known for decades that the second-generation cut-off is legally problematic. Despite nearly three years of consultations, the minister says more are needed before addressing it
Family and friends of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people are set to gather on Parliament Hill today. Participants plan to hold a press conference and a vigil for Red Dress Day. The event will be led by Bridget Tolley, founder of Families of Sisters in Spirit. Speakers will commemorate lost loved ones and comment on Canada's...
The Alberta government believes it will have Indigenous support for its plan to build a new oil pipeline to the Pacific coast when it’s unveiled in June.
Two First Nations leadership sources say British Columbia Premier David Eby is backing down again on the suspension of key parts of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, scrapping plans to table legislation on Monday. One of the sources says the suspension bill -- which was already delayed last wee
A First Nation in Alberta will be in court today seeking to shut down a petition urging the province to quit Confederation. The Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is in Edmonton asking a Court of King's Bench judge to suspend the petition campaign on the grounds First Nations' consent is required first. It is alleging a failure by Alberta, Canada and...
A leaked transcript of a meeting between Indigenous leaders and British Columbia Premier David Eby, about his plan to suspend the province's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, or DRIPA, shows them accusing him of "absolute betrayal" and colonialism. Speaker after speaker in the 17,000-word transcript of Thursday's meeting, obtained by The Canadian Press, criticize Eby's handling of...
The prime minister said there should be a public apology for a spying operation targeting hundreds of Indigenous people that had the support of the federal government. "Yes, there should be an apology," Mark Carney said during a press conference in Halifax on Thursday. "It’s a reprehensible practice. Never should’ve happened." Carney was responding to reporting from CBC Indigenous, which...
