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Toronto Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Indigenous leaders again left out of first ministers meeting as tensions grow
OTTAWA - The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is warning the provinces and Ottawa it 'may not end well' if they make decisions about major infrastructure projects at the upcoming first ministers meeting without First Nations involvement. First Nations leaders in Ontario, meanwhile, have a rally planned for Monday at Queen's Park to protest the provincial government's controversial Bill 5, legislation meant to speed up development. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says the lack of First Nations representation at the first ministers' table is 'very disrespectful.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The Assembly of First Nations has long called for its inclusion at first ministers meetings but has only been able to secure secondary meetings with prime ministers ahead of the official meetings. Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt says governments should 'smarten up' and warns that it's 'not good business to offend and disrespect us so that we have to blockade.' He says governments should view First Nations as 'equal partners around the table,' adding that if First Nations were in decision-making positions and proposed developments in their cities, 'MPs would be up in arms.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. 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.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Indigenous leaders again left out of first ministers meeting as tensions grow
Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak speaks during a new conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA — The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is warning the provinces and Ottawa it 'may not end well' if they make decisions about major infrastructure projects at the upcoming first ministers meeting without First Nations involvement. First Nations leaders in Ontario, meanwhile, have a rally planned for Monday at Queen's Park to protest the provincial government's controversial Bill 5, legislation meant to speed up development. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says the lack of First Nations representation at the first ministers' table is 'very disrespectful.' The Assembly of First Nations has long called for its inclusion at first ministers meetings but has only been able to secure secondary meetings with prime ministers ahead of the official meetings. Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt says governments should 'smarten up' and warns that it's 'not good business to offend and disrespect us so that we have to blockade.' He says governments should view First Nations as 'equal partners around the table,' adding that if First Nations were in decision-making positions and proposed developments in their cities, 'MPs would be up in arms.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. Written by Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Indigenous leaders again left out of first ministers meeting as tensions grow
OTTAWA – The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is warning the provinces and Ottawa it 'may not end well' if they make decisions about major infrastructure projects at the upcoming first ministers meeting without First Nations involvement. First Nations leaders in Ontario, meanwhile, have a rally planned for Monday at Queen's Park to protest the provincial government's controversial Bill 5, legislation meant to speed up development. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says the lack of First Nations representation at the first ministers' table is 'very disrespectful.' The Assembly of First Nations has long called for its inclusion at first ministers meetings but has only been able to secure secondary meetings with prime ministers ahead of the official meetings. Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt says governments should 'smarten up' and warns that it's 'not good business to offend and disrespect us so that we have to blockade.' He says governments should view First Nations as 'equal partners around the table,' adding that if First Nations were in decision-making positions and proposed developments in their cities, 'MPs would be up in arms.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
National Post
27-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Chiefs tell King Charles to remember his treaty obligations
OTTAWA — Dozens of First Nations leaders from across the country gathered in front of Parliament Hill this week with a message for the King as he arrived in Ottawa: respect your treaty partners. Article content Article content Treaties were 'meant to be a respectful relationship where we could continue to live our lives, practise our inherent rights of hunting, trapping, fishing and trade amongst one another,' said Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt in front of a teepee erected on the lawn. Article content 'It was not meant to be what it is today, which is the oppression of our people. We want to remind the King our chiefs want to see him. Our chiefs want to see the King to remind him of his obligations under treaty.' Article content King Charles and Queen Camilla were in Ottawa Monday and Tuesday for their first visit to Canada since the King's coronation two years ago. Parliament opened Monday and MPs voted to elect the new Speaker of the House of Commons, with the Throne Speech being read on Tuesday. Article content In addition to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon both scheduled to have audiences with the King and Queen, the royal couples also held audiences with the leaders of three national Indigenous organizations: Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and Metis National Council President Victoria Pruden. Article content 'We are getting ready to move ahead and move forward with our relationship with the Crown,' Wilson said. Article content 'And what that means is Canada is no longer making decisions for our people. That's something we've been dealing with for generations… There needs to be a renewed relationship with Canada. They need to understand our rights as First Nations people.' Article content Article content The assembled First Nations leaders said they also want the federal Liberals to take action on reforming the child welfare system, protecting traditional lands and building infrastructure desperately needed in Indigenous communities. Article content 'There's billions, if not trillions of dollars taken out of our territories every year. None of it comes back to our nations,' said Grand Chief of Treaty 8 First Nations Trevor Mercredi. Article content 'We all have issues at home, but we're here today to fight for the most important issue of all, and that's our treaties. It's about time the King, the prime minister and premiers fully understand. And if it takes lawsuits for them to fully understand, that's what we'll do once again.' Article content
National Observer
26-05-2025
- Politics
- National Observer
Chiefs remind King Charles about his treaty obligations
Dozens of First Nations leaders from across the country gathered in front of Parliament Hill Monday with a message for the King as he arrived in the city — respect your treaty partners. Treaties were "meant to be a respectful relationship where we could continue to live our lives, practise our inherent rights of hunting, trapping, fishing and trade amongst one another," said Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt in front of a teepee erected on the lawn. "It was not meant to be what it is today, which is the oppression of our people. We want to remind the King our chiefs want to see him. Our chiefs want to see the King to remind him of his obligations under treaty." King Charles and Queen Camilla touched down in Ottawa Monday to begin their first visit to Canada since the King's coronation two years ago. Parliament also opened Monday and MPs voted to elect the new Speaker of the House of Commons. While Prime Minister Mark Carney and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon were both scheduled to have audiences with the King and Queen, the leaders gathered on Parliament Hill argued that they should also have a seat at the table. "We always hear about nation-to-nation, but when we get ready for the throne speech, and where the King is going to be speaking, our leadership have not been invited in those spaces," said Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson. Late Monday afternoon, it was announced that the King and Queen would also hold audiences with the leaders of three national Indigenous organizations: Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and Métis National Council President Victoria Pruden. Dozens of First Nations leaders from across the country gathered in front of Parliament Hill Monday with a message for the King as he arrived in the city — respect your treaty partners. "We are getting ready to move ahead and move forward with our relationship with the Crown," Wilson said. "And what that means is Canada is no longer making decisions for our people. That's something we've been dealing with for generations... There needs to be a renewed relationship with Canada. They need to understand our rights as First Nations people." The assembled First Nations leaders said they also want the federal Liberals to take action on reforming the child welfare system, protecting traditional lands and building infrastructure desperately needed in Indigenous communities. "There's billions, if not trillions of dollars taken out of our territories every year. None of it comes back to our nations," said Grand Chief of Treaty 8 First Nations Trevor Mercredi. "We all have issues at home, but we're here today to fight for the most important issue of all, and that's our treaties. It's about time the King, the prime minister and premiers fully understand. And if it takes lawsuits for them to fully understand, that's what we'll do once again."
