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OTTAWA \u2014 Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was optimistic about finding consensus on the Liberals\u2019 major projects law as he met with hundreds of First Nations chiefs on Thursday, but by mid-afternoon some leaders had walked out of the summit, decrying what they saw as an insufficient response to the concerns they\u2019ve been raising for weeks.<\/p>\n
By the end of the meeting, some chiefs said they\u2019re \u201ccautiously optimistic,\u201d while others remain worried about potential cuts to federal funding for Indigenous-facing departments they say will leave their communities worse off and in a weakened position to move projects forward.<\/p>\n
Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Grand Chief Cody Diabo told The Canadian Press he took the microphone to express his frustration before leaving the meeting prior to its scheduled end, saying chiefs expected to have time to engage with the prime minister and cabinet ministers but instead were asked to talk to one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t even know what this is, but this is not engagement. This is definitely not consultation. I\u2019m speechless,\u201d he said after leaving the meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Diabo said it seemed like the government was trying to gather people who support its plan, and called the meeting \u201ca facade.\u201d Other leaders criticized the speaking list of the event, saying the government hand-selected pro-development communities to quell the concerns of their peers while excluding those who have historically been more skeptical.<\/p>\n
Carney clarified his interpretation of Thursday meetings in his closing statement, recorded by a chief participating in the summit who provided to The Canadian Press.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was never a consultation. This was not a consultation today. This is engagement,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Carney went on to say that once consultations start on specific projects, the repeated process will result in shared prosperity and a gradual rebuilding of trust between the government and First Nations.<\/p>\n
Carney told chiefs in the room that he hoped to have the federal Major Projects Office, which will lead work on streamlining developments, and its associated Indigenous Advisory Council set up by Labour Day.<\/p>\n
Chiefs have been raising concerns about the independence of that body, and have said they want a say in who is appointed. They\u2019re also worried the government will use advice provided from that body as consulting with rights-holders while bypassing direct engagement with affected communities.<\/p>\n
The high-stakes meeting was an opportunity for Carney to directly address concerns from chiefs, and he told reporters before it kicked off he was planning to spend the say listening to First Nations leaders\u2019 concerns about the Building Canada Act, which allows the government to fast track major projects that it deems to be in the national interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will say a few words at the start and answer questions at the end but I\u2019m here to listen, engage and move forward from that,\u201d Carney said shortly before he was greeted with cheers as he took the stage in front of chiefs at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe economic value of these projects will be shared with First Nations as partners; it will help build the prosperity of your communities for generations to come,\u201d Carney said as he began the meeting.<\/p>\n
After his brief remarks, media were escorted out of the room and barred from hearing Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak address the hundreds of chiefs gathered.<\/p>\n
The AFN advocated for the entire meeting to be made public, and Woodhouse Nepinak later apologized for having to hold a press conference outside of the museum.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should have been in there, and you should have been able to hear my speech,\u201d she said \u2014 a sentiment she repeated later in the day to a group of youth who travelled to Ottawa to protest the new law.<\/p>\n
The closed-door meeting was promised in June after chiefs said their rights were not respected by the government pushing the legislation through Parliament. The law was passed, with support from the Conservatives, less than a month after it was introduced.<\/p>\n
It allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects that are deemed to be in the national interest, including by sidestepping existing laws.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Former national chief Ovide Mercredi addressed Carney directly in the meeting, saying Carney is asking for First Nations to have faith in the government and the legislation, despite it causing fear among leaders.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s always a limit to our conversations in forums like this. But if you come to our territory, we will honour you. We will treat you with the respect you deserve as the head of this country,\u201d Mercredi said in the recording shared with The Canadian Press.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut at the same time, we would expect you to honour our people and our leaders likewise,\u201d he continued before receiving a standing ovation.<\/p>\n
Sheila North, the former grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak and proxy for Bunibonibee Cree Nation, said she was disheartened by the moderators trying to limit Mercredi\u2019s speaking time.<\/p>\n
\u201cOvide Mercredi is one of the First Nations most respected and sought-after knowledge keepers in our country,\u201d North said in a statement to The Canadian Press.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrime Minister Mark Carney and his government would signal to many of us that they are serious about building relationships if they followed Ovide\u2019s advice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trevor Mercredi, Grand Chief at Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta, said Carney has a \u201cbig job to do,\u201d and that he put himself in the position he is currently in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe chiefs came here with very heavy concern,\u201d Mercredi said, referencing the legislation and the seemingly rushed nature the meeting was put together in, with last-minute agenda changes and invites commonplace.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe came out here to assert our rights. We didn\u2019t come out here to ask questions. We didn\u2019t come out here to put our hands out. We simply came here to assert our rights and make sure that each and every person understands what they\u2019re in for if they\u2019re coming for our resources.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chief Jeff Copenace of Ojibways of Onigaming said what First Nations really need is investments in their infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Canada wants to build, we want to build too,\u201d said Copenace, a chief who has seen at least one funeral in his community per month since taking on the job, with residents living under a state of emergency.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to build youth infrastructure. We want to build youth crisis centres. We want to build youth rec centres \u2026 That\u2019s the type of projects that the youth are looking for, not necessarily the types of major projects that they\u2019re discussing here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Carney told reporters that Thursday\u2019s meeting is the first step in a process.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we\u2019re building our nation, we\u2019re building all nations, building together, building in partnership,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stressed that the law is enabling legislation and the government has not yet identified the national-interest projects it intends to fast track. Chiefs said no specific projects were mentioned during the meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich ones do First Nations, do provinces, do the people of Canada want to move forward on? That takes work,\u201d Carney said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When asked if he thinks the government can get consensus from First Nations leaders about how to move forward, Carney said: \u201cYes I do.\u201d<\/p>\n
That consensus wasn\u2019t reached by the end of Thursday, but Carney vowed to leadership to continue the dialogue.<\/p>\n
Carney pledged to launch a regional dialogue with First Nations and further consultation processes going forward, with one such meeting already in talks with chiefs from Treaty 5 territory.<\/p>\n
The government plans to hold similar meetings with Inuit and M\u00e9tis leadership.<\/p>\n
\u00a92025 The Canadian Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n