Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak speaks at the First Nations Major Projects Coalition conference in Toronto on Thursday.Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press
Indigenous leaders across Canada say more clarity is needed on how major projects financed under the new Canada Strong Fund will affect and respect Indigenous rights.
The federal government has to engage with First Nations on the country’s new sovereign wealth fund, which was introduced on Monday, before any investments are made, the Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said in a statement.
“The government cannot push development ahead without proper consultation and accountability to First Nations,” Ms. Woodhouse Nepinak said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said the fund, with an initial budget of $25-billion over three years, will focus on nation-building efforts aimed at domestic investments for projects such as developing port infrastructure and natural resources.
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The government plans to hold consultations on the fund, which will operate as an independent Crown corporation, in the coming months.
And Ms. Woodhouse Nepinak said the AFN, an advocacy group representing more than 600 First Nations across the country, should be consulted. Indigenous people can no longer be an afterthought in Canada’s economic strategies and plans, she said.
“First Nations have repeatedly called for sustained and adequate investments to close the First Nations infrastructure gap, not just for our communities, but for the benefit of all Canadians,” she said.
It’s a recurrent theme between Canada and Indigenous leaders, who’ve also opposed other federal moves to push major projects forward without First Nations’ full participation. She pointed to last year’s Bill C-5, which many First Nations opposed for how it would fast-track major projects without proper consultation.
The sovereign fund continues the approach “where First Nations are an afterthought in the government’s path to building the Canadian economy. There is no Canada Strong without strong First Nations. Unless we grow in true partnership, Canada’s economy will get weaker,” Ms. Woodhouse Nepinak said.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs said any major projects supported by the wealth fund that proceed without the free, prior, and informed consent of First Nations will undermine Indigenous title and rights. The UBCIC is a non-profit political organization representing First Nations across the province.
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“At a bare minimum, there must be clear and enforceable safeguards to ensure public funds are not deployed in ways that violate Indigenous sovereignty. Anything less is complicity,” he said.
Carole Monture, the education and training manager for the Indigenous Climate Action initiative, said any climate-related commitments and investments have to align with Indigenous rights. The grassroots group is based on the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in Ontario.
“That means no funding for projects that proceed without full consent and a clear shift toward Indigenous-led climate solutions. We don’t have time for anything less,” she said.
The Prime Minister’s Office deferred comment to the Ministry of Finance, who weren’t immediately available.
With a report from Bill Curry