Latest news with #AFN
Hamilton Spectator
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
AFN Yukon and CYFN chief positions set to be consolidated this year
According to a statement from the Council of Yukon First Nations, effective Oct. 1, 2025 the positions of Grand Chief and AFN Yukon Regional Chief will be merged into one. The consolidation comes out of resolutions made by Yukon First Nation chiefs at the Assembly of First Nations Yukon Chiefs Summit on May 21 and 22, as well as a May 30 Council of Yukon First Nations Leadership meeting. 'The new model is intended to streamline governance, reduce duplication, and strengthen national and political advocacy grounded in the shared priority of all 14 Yukon First Nations,' reads the statement. The consolidation was being discussed since spring 2024, reads the statement. Chiefs arrived at the consensus to consolidate the two positions into a 'unified Grand Chief model' after a substantive review process and much discussion, per the statement. CYFN Grand Chief Peter Johnston is quoted as saying that the decision will help unify efforts and advance the interests of all Yukon First Nations. AFN Yukon Regional Chief Kluane Adamek is quoted in the release as saying that the new model will allow for stronger advocacy. It will ensure 'that Yukon First Nations are not only heard, but are leading the conversation both regionally and nationally,' per Adamek. Elections for the new Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief will be held on June 25 at the CYFN general assembly meeting in Teslin. Five candidates are currently in the running for the position: former Kluane First Nation Chief Math'ieya Alatini, current Vuntut Gwitchin Chief Pauline Frost, former Carcross Tagish First Nation councillor Rose Sellars, former CYFN Grand Chief Ed Schultz and former Champagne and Aishihik First Nations Chief Steve Smith. Whoever ends up winning the election will assume the duties and responsibilities formerly held by the AFN Regional Chief, per the statement. The new grand chief will also be responsible for a 'regional mandate review to assess how Yukon First Nations are currently supported,' reads the statement. The CYFN constitution will have to be amended, and the proposed changes to the constitution will be presented at the CYFN general assembly, ensuring all 14 Yukon First Nations will have voting rights. Financial resources, authority and responsibilities associated with the AFN Yukon Regional Chief will also be transferred to the CYFN. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Justice minister apologizes for comments about Indigenous veto over development projects
OTTAWA — Justice Minister Sean Fraser has apologized personally and publicly to the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations and on Wednesday attempted to do public damage control after saying the federal government believes its duty to consult and engage Indigenous Peoples does not mean those communities have a veto when it comes to green-lighting nation-building projects. Fraser, sounding a chastened note, told reporters his comments a day earlier 'caused hurt and potentially eroded a very precarious trust that has been built up over many years to respect the rights of Indigenous People in this country.' He said he should have 'rejected the premise of the question' that was asked by the Toronto Star, a day after the AFN, a national advocacy group for First Nations, warned the Carney government of its duty to seek the 'free, prior and informed consent' of Indigenous Peoples to expedite massive infrastructure projects, citing the principle enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) in Canadian law and the Constitution. The Star asked Fraser what he and Prime Minister Mark Carney understand the legal principle means when it comes to these projects. The justice minister, who is a lawyer, cited international legal experts and jurisprudence, and said it entails a duty on the government to meaningfully consult, engage and accommodate Indigenous concerns, but it doesn't constitute a blanket veto power. The Star quoted the minister extensively Tuesday. On Wednesday, Fraser tried to walk back the damage he said was done by his comments after AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak reached out to him. However, Fraser did not back off the government's position — a position that has been consistent since Canada adopted its own law to interpret the UN declaration. 'I had a call last night after National Chief Woodhouse reached out expressing her frustration and I told her unequivocally that I wanted to apologize for some of the comments,' Fraser said, telling reporters nobody in government told him to publicly apologize. 'What I should have done when faced with the question that I received was rejecting (sic) the premise of the question,' Fraser said. 'The UN declaration when it comes to free, prior and informed consent, is about establishing a process based on respect and partnership as between the Crown and Indigenous Peoples. I think sometimes the conversation falls into a frankly dangerous trope that paints a false picture of Indigenous People as being anti-development somehow.' In fact, his Liberal caucus colleague, MP Marc Miller, a lawyer who served as Justin Trudeau's minister of Crown and Indigenous relations as well as minister of Indigenous services, told the Star in an interview that courts have consistently interpreted the UN declaration and Canadian law as not granting a veto. The courts have, however, set out a clear 'pathway' for governments and companies to follow in order to meaningfully consult, engage and accommodate Indigenous communities' concerns around resource developments. 'If UNDRIP had a veto in it, it is doubtful that a number of countries, including Canada, would have signed it in the first place,' Miller told the Star's Mark Ramzy. 'Now, the process of consultation is much broader than that, and depending on the quality and the impediment on the community in question, this can effectively turn into a community being able to prevent a pipeline from going through its community and depending on the project — but that is not a veto in all cases.' Miller said court decisions have established 'a road map for engagement with communities that is relatively sophisticated at this point. And the question for the federal government, is does it observe it or does it decide to cut corners? It cuts corners, it will find out, we will find out quite quickly through the court system that that will actually delay projects. So let's get it right the first time.' But, Miller added, 'to imply that UNDRIP in all cases gives a veto to every single community is to be inaccurate on what UNDRIP actually requires governments and states in question to do.' Fraser said essentially the same thing a day earlier, pointing to 'international commentary and the limited jurisprudence' that has interpreted the UN declaration to date. He said those indicate 'we do need to fully engage and to the extent there's a potential to have a more direct impact on Aboriginal and treaty rights, it demands a higher degree of engagement.' But, he said, experts have suggested 'that is not necessarily a blanket veto power.' 'But of course, we're in new territory here,' he said. 'Over the course of the next generation, I expect the courts are going to do some significant work, but hopefully a lot of that work is actually going to be done between governments and Indigenous Peoples themselves through engagement and conversations.' Fraser's initial comments were the first clear statement of how Carney's government will interpret the UN declaration and Canadian law when it comes to consulting Inuit, First Nations and Métis people about projects on lands over which they may hold treaty or constitutional land claims. It stood in contrast to how many Indigenous leaders view the Crown's legal obligation to consult them, many of whom argue it grants the power to consent to or deny economic development proposals. Canada adopted legislation and an action plan to implement the UN declaration under then-justice minister David Lametti, who is now principal secretary to Carney. The AFN had warned Carney in a letter released Monday of his legal obligations to consult and obtain the consent of affected communities when drawing up the legislation to fast-track projects, and when deciding on which projects will be designated 'nation-building' and qualify for expedited approvals. Without the 'free, prior and informed consent' of those communities, the AFN warned Carney's plan will be mired in conflict and litigation. On Monday, Woodhouse Nepinak told The Canadian Press that it is 'disheartening' when politicians make such comments, and said the government has made a series of missteps since her Thursday meeting with Carney. 'When the prime minister's trying to start a relationship with First Nations in a good way, it's disheartening when comments are made later, twice now actually this week,' she said, citing Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty saying that work to fill the First Nations infrastructure gap won't qualify for Ottawa's push to fast-track what it calls 'nation-building' projects. Woodhouse Nepinak said she was then taken aback by Fraser's comments. 'He called to apologize,' she said. 'He needs to apologize to First Nations for those comments.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Council of Yukon First Nations, AFN to combine leadership roles into 1
Yukon First Nations have decided to unify a couple of regional leadership roles into one — meaning the next grand chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) will have some new responsibilities. Starting in October, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) will no longer have a Yukon regional chief who's independent of CYFN. That person's duties and responsibilities will be taken up by the next CYFN grand chief. The two organizations began discussing the idea since last year and both passed resolutions last month to make it happen. The goal, according to a joint news release on Wednesday, is to "streamline governance, reduce duplication and strengthen national and political advocacy grounded in the shared priorities of all 14 Yukon First Nations." Currently, Yukon is represented at the AFN — an Ottawa-based national advocacy group — by Yukon Regional Chief Kluane Adamek, who has served in that role since 2018. CYFN is a non-profit political organization based in the territory that represents and advocates for Yukon First Nations, with the grand chief serving as the main political spokesperson. Peter Johnston has held that role since 2016 and has said he won't be running for another term. Under the new model, the CYFN grand chief will now represent Yukon First Nations at AFN executive meetings. However, that person "will not lead an AFN portfolio or sit on the AFN corporate board without a direct mandate from Yukon First Nations," reads Wednesday's news release. "This approach reflects a made-in-Yukon solution — directed by all 14 Chiefs — that aligns with regional governance realities while maintaining a strategic national presence." The next grand chief of CYFN will be elected this month. They would take on the new AFN-related responsibilities as of Oct. 1. In a written statement, Johnston called the change "a significant step forward in unifying our effort and advancing the interests of all Yukon First Nations." Adamek also touted the decision as a way to ensure Yukon First Nations have a stronger voice through "co-ordinated advocacy." "This is about amplifying the collective voices of all Yukon First Nations in a way that reflects who we are: united, visionary and rooted in our values," she said.
Toronto Star
3 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Star
First Nations don't have a veto over nation-building projects, Mark Carney's justice minister says
OTTAWA—Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the federal duty to consult and engage Indigenous people on major nation-building projects does not amount to granting those communities a veto. After the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) warned Prime Minister Mark Carney he must secure Indigenous Peoples' consent to his plans to expedite massive infrastructure projects, citing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, Fraser said the legal duty under that declaration is viewed by international experts and the current government as limited. 'In most circumstances, I think it demands a very deep level of, of engagement and understanding of the rights that may be impacted. And to the extent that those rights can be accommodated, we should make every effort to. The explicit nature of a veto — so from my understanding — is it stops short of a complete veto,' Fraser said in response to the Star's questions Tuesday. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'But it certainly, in my view, heightens the demands upon government to engage fully to both understand the nature of the rights that could be impacted by decisions taken by the government, but also the heightened duty to accommodate those rights that are baked into our treaties and protected by our Constitution.' The first ministers meeting in Saskatoon ended Monday with Carney promising Indigenous leaders would be deeply involved in the development of 'nation-building' projects that all premiers are keen to accelerate, and which Carney intends to fast-track with new legislation, tighter timelines for approvals, and possibly federal infrastructure money as he squares off against President Donald Trump's tariff war. Federal Politics Mark Carney, premiers agree on 'nation-building priorities,' but First Nations raise alarms over lack of consultation Prime Minister hints at prioritizing energy infrastructure — such as pipelines — after first Fraser said 'international commentary and the limited jurisprudence' interpreting the UN declaration indicates that 'we do need to fully engage and to the extent there's a potential to have a more direct impact on Aboriginal and treaty rights, it demands a higher degree of engagement.' But, he said, experts have suggested 'that is not necessarily a blanket veto power.' 'But of course, we're in new territory here. Over the course of the next generation, I expect the courts are going to do some significant work, but hopefully a lot of that work is actually going to be done between governments and Indigenous Peoples themselves through engagement and conversations.' Fraser's comments represent the first clear statement of how Carney's government will interpret the UN declaration and Canadian law when it comes to consulting Inuit, First Nations and Métis people about projects on lands over which they may hold treaty or constitutional land claims. It stands in contrast to how many Indigenous leaders view the Crown's legal obligation to consult them, many of whom argue it grants the power to consent to or deny economic development proposals. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Canada adopted legislation and an action plan to implement the UN declaration under then-justice minister David Lametti, now principal secretary to Carney. The AFN, the national advocacy group for First Nations, on Monday reminded Carney of his legal obligations to consult and obtain the consent of affected communities when drawing up the legislation to fast-track projects, and when deciding on which projects will be designated 'nation-building' and qualify for expedited approvals. Without the 'free, prior and informed consent' of those communities, the AFN warned Carney's plan will be mired in conflict and litigation. Both B.C. and Ontario governments have faced pushback from Indigenous groups as they tried to expedite resource development projects. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has moved to amend a controversial bill in an effort to address concerns that Indigenous treaty rights and environmental protections are under threat. His government has proposed to allow Indigenous-led special economic zones over mining and infrastructure projects that could benefit their communities. In B.C. First Nations leaders say a new mining framework should recognize a 'duty to consent' not a duty to consult. Provincial Politics Doug Ford's Tories amend controversial mining bill to allay First Nation concerns Indigenous leaders have been warning Ford that Bill 5 fast-tracking mining and other 'I believe in duty to consult,' Ford told reporters in Toronto Tuesday. 'I believe in treaty rights. But we can't take two, three years for duty to consult. We need to move forward. What I've experienced, when they have an equity partnership in any deal, the duty consult moves rapidly. Really quick, which is a good thing, but there's an opportunity unlike they've ever seen before, and we just want a great partnership.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW He said there are 'many, many chiefs' that want developments like northern Ontario's Ring of Fire mining region to be developed. 'They want this road built. They want the quality of life for their kids that they never had, and that's what we're providing with them, and they're going to be great partners as we move forward.' Fraser, the federal justice minister, speaking to reporters before a cabinet meeting in Ottawa Tuesday, said that 'when we get down to the actual project decisions, it's important that we fully understand the potential impact that those projects could have on rights that are protected in our treaties and again, protected by our constitution before we actually move forward with specific projects.' He said Ottawa has had 'some engagement to date leading up to this first ministers meeting,' adding the engagement is 'ongoing.' However, AFN national chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak in a letter to Carney released Monday said it was insufficient for Ottawa to merely provide a letter and a three-page background document without providing the proposed legislation for fast-tracking project approvals to First Nations. Nepinak said she told Carney in a meeting last week that when it comes to 'nation-building projects,' Canada needs to start with fast-tracking the basics like clean water, quality housing, modern schools, all-season roads and community infrastructure. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty said that while closing the First Nations infrastructure gap is important, it's not considered nation-building and would be pursued outside the proposed legislation. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Fraser said the prime minister 'has committed to engaging over the course of the summer directly with Indigenous leaders.' 'We've learned over the course of Canada's history if you exclude rights holders from the conversation, in the long term, it's actually going to slow you down. So putting in the work up front to make sure that the nature of the rights that could be impacted are well understood and moving forward, preferably in collaboration with Indigenous partners, is going to set you up for success in the long term.' But, said Fraser, there are many Canadians that do want to see projects move more swiftly. 'It's also very clear in my community and communities across the country, Canadians want to see major projects that advance the national interest approved more quickly than the existing regime has for those key projects that are nation building. So the prime minister has made that commitment. We're going to be moving forward with measures that will help move forward those projects in the national interest, but we're going to do what we can to do it in collaboration with Indigenous partners along the way.' After the first ministers meeting ended Monday in Saskatoon, premiers emerged singing Carney's praises, and vowing to work to eliminate remaining internal trade barriers, to consult with Indigenous leaders, to streamline their own provincial permitting processes and where possible co-operate with Ottawa to assign major projects a single environmental impact assessment, under the rubric of 'one-project, one-review' that Carney has been touting. Carney, for his part, said the federal government will introduce legislation to eliminate federal barriers to internal trade and to establish a Major Federal Projects Office with the stated mandate to reduce approvals time for designated 'nation-building' resource and infrastructure projects from five years to two. He also endorsed the possible approval, and even federal support for, a future oil pipeline project that could bring oilsands exports from Alberta to tidewater — whether via the West in northwest B.C. or the East to ports in Churchill as long as it carries 'decarbonized' barrels of Canadian oil to international markets, which Carney declared would be in the 'national interest.' Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bell: Smith vows to work with Carney, says he is way better than Justin Trudeau
Truth be told this is not a column where the headline is shouting outrage, where Alberta against Ottawa sounds like an old-school wrestling cage match. You know the headline. DANIELLE SMITH SLAMS MARK CARNEY. Alberta premier says Prime Minister Carney is just another Justin Trudeau. That IS NOT the headline this day because that is NOT the story. Canada's premiers met with Carney Monday and Smith came out of the gabfest … very encouraged. She wasn't gushing like Ontario Premier Doug Ford who sung Love Is In The Air and compared Carney to Santa Claus. Ford, after all, is Carney's BFF. But Smith was feeling pretty good. We still have no idea whether or not Smith's idea of an oil pipeline to the west coast will be fast-tracked as a nation-building project by the Carney government but the Alberta premier is very encouraged. We still have no idea whether what Smith calls the Nine Terrible Laws, Liberal anti-oil policies, are going to be killed or rewritten by Carney. You know, the cap on oil and gas emissions and the No More Pipelines law and the tanker ban off the B.C. coast and the net-zero electricity regulations and the list goes on. Despite what the future may hold, Smith is happy to tell you she feels Carney is way better than former prime minister Justin Trudeau. When asked by this scribbler how she rates Monday's meeting — 10 means bring out the champagne and one is a sit-down with Steven Guilbeault, Trudeau's green guru — Smith put it as a five. A five out of 10 on your kid's math test is not good news but five out of 10 with a Liberal prime minister is apparently reason to be optimistic. Proposed fast-tracking of national projects 'serious threat' to treaty rights: AFN Chief Bell: Danielle Smith and Alberta give Mark Carney an offer he shouldn't refuse The premier says Carney is a 'dramatic improvement' over Trudeau since he recognizes the value of Alberta oil and wants to get it to market and get it to Asia. Smith still insists Carney must do something about the anti-oil, anti-Alberta Nine Terrible Laws. You can't get investors to pony up big dough for a pipeline with anti-oil laws on the books. Even Liberals should understand that. She says success only comes with someone to bankroll the pipeline and we see the shovels in the ground. 'That's why there are a lot more steps we need to go through before anyone breaks out the champagne.' Still, the premier likes what she hears in the change of tone from the days of Trudeau. She is willing to work with Carney 'in a spirit of good will.' Smith is willing to give it a try. 'I think the prime minister was pressed many times by many reporters: Are you talking about oil? Yes. Are you talking about bitumen? Yes. Are you talking about a pipeline going to the northwest coast of B.C.? Yes. He didn't back down on that,' says Smith. Smith says the fact Carney is saying the same thing to the press as he said to the premiers behind closed doors on Monday means 'he genuinely wants to find a path to do that.' To see a west coast pipeline up and running. 'So I'm genuinely going to work on that,' says Smith. Why is Smith considerably more confident with Carney than with Trudeau? 'Remember, Trudeau had the moment when he said what his true views were, that the oilsands would have to be kept in the ground. 'He had an environment minister who kept on talking about phasing out oil and gas and he never reined him in and, in fact, he gave him license to pass terrible laws to do just that.' Smith then points to Carney, who the premier says sidelined Guilbeault, the environment minister under Trudeau, made Tim Hodgson — who has built pipelines in the past — his point man on oil and gas and talks about Canada being an energy superpower. 'That should give Albertans some reason for optimism.' The Alberta premier adds most Albertans are telling her to give Carney a chance. 'At the moment he is demonstrating he is moving in a different direction than his predecessor. I'm prepared to work with him.' And so we are left to see how the next act unfolds. 'It will become evident pretty quickly whether or not it's real or whether it's smoke or mirrors. 'At the moment I don't know the answer to that. I'm going to proceed as if we're going to get to an agreement that will be to the benefit of Albertans.' rbell@
