First Nations leadership were required to submit questions in advance at their meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney Thursday, raising concerns about how the summit came together.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
A landmark meeting between Mark Carney and First Nations leaders ended the way it began Thursday, with a divergence of views on display that signalled a long road ahead for the Prime Minister’s plan to fast-track major projects.
Some leaders emerged with a sense that Mr. Carney had listened thoughtfully to their points of view.
Others said the meeting was too disorganized and last minute to be considered meaningful dialogue in response to the central concern: whether First Nations rights will be respected and protected alongside the implementation of Bill C-5.
Part of the law, the Building Canada Act, allows the federal cabinet to deem projects to be of national interest and then exempt them from various laws in order to speed up approvals and construction.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said in his opening speech that economic growth for Indigenous communities is the 'core' of Bill C-5.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
The Carney government says doing so is crucial to strengthening the economy in the face of the collapsing relationship with the U.S.
The law requires consultation with Indigenous peoples to determine which projects would be deemed in the national interest, and to develop the conditions under which chosen projects could proceed.
Chief Vernon Watchmaker from Kehewin Cree Nation in Alberta said he does not see it that way.
“Bill C-5 centralizes power in Ottawa, lets cabinet override environmental laws, ignores treaty and inherent rights,” he told a news conference late Thursday.
“That is not modernization, it is colonization in 2025.”
Protesters gathered at the Canadian Museum of History during the First Nations Summit in Gatineau, Que.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
Chief Derek Nepinak of the Pine Creek First Nation in Manitoba said the meeting was a good opportunity to engage, and his sense was that chiefs are “cautiously optimistic.”
British Columbia Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee said that’s also what he is feeling.
“It really comes down to what the Prime Minister is going to commit to over the next year,” he said.
Mr. Teegee said he would have liked to know whether Mr. Carney will live up to the free, prior and informed consent provisions under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which came into force in Canada in 2021.
“I think the answer would have been yes, I hope,” he said. “But I think a lot of First Nations still have a lot of trust issues.”
Those invited Thursday included many First Nations “rights holders,” the term for Indigenous peoples, including Inuit and Métis, who are covered by Section 35 of the Constitution.
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It recognizes and affirms their existing Aboriginal and treaty rights, and it’s where the duty to consult stems from. Indigenous peoples and parts of Canada also have Aboriginal title.
Thursday’s meeting, however, was not the formal consultation required under the bill.
It was convened after Mr. Carney faced significant pushback on how the bill was introduced and in turn, sped through Parliament in a matter of days over the objections of many, including Indigenous leadership, who said that meant it did not receive appropriate scrutiny.
Many chiefs said the agenda and timeline for the meeting only came together at the last minute, and there was confusion ahead of time over how much engagement they would have with the Prime Minister.
While Mr. Carney’s remarks were open to the media, the rest was not, over the objections of the Assembly of First Nations, who had pushed for the meeting to be public.
In his opening speech, Mr. Carney highlighted that the economic value of the projects and all sides working together means a new chapter will be written in the relationship between the federal government and First Nations, he said.
“This isn’t an aspiration. This is the law. This is the law as it is written. The plan is embedded in the law itself,” he said.
“In many respects, this is the first federal legislation to put Indigenous economic growth at its core. We now have the opportunity to realize it.”
Kahnawà:ke Grand Chief Cody Diabo left the meeting before the question-and-answer session with the Prime Minister, citing inadequate engagement.Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
Kahnawà:ke Grand Chief Cody Diabo left early, before a question-and-answer session with Mr. Carney, telling the floor that the meeting was inadequate.
“I’ve had better engagements at training sessions,” he told chiefs. “I feel like I’m back in high school. Sit down, listen and don’t talk.”
The Globe and Mail obtained a link to the virtual meeting from a participant.
Mr. Carney remained at the meeting until the end of the day, and took numerous questions.
“It’s time to build big projects that will transform and connect our economy. Central to this mission is shared leadership with Indigenous Peoples,” Mr. Carney said in a statement after the meeting.
“Working in partnership, we can seize this opportunity and build lasting prosperity for generations.”
Mr. Diabo and other chiefs did not rule out the potential for future protests. Chief Joey Pete of Sunchild First Nation in Alberta told a news conference treaties must be honoured.
“We will stand tall. We’ll gather together if we have to, to stop this,” he said.
Protester Keisha Paulmartin of Okiniwak Youth Led Movement speaks during a protest at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau on Thursday.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
Mr. Pete said the fact that First Nations may economically benefit under the legislation is cold comfort.
“Yes, it’s good to revenue share, but what do we share revenue from, resources that were stolen? That were taken from us illegally when these resources were all ours to begin with?”
Next steps for the legislation include setting up a major projects office, which Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty told reporters will be in place by Labour Day.
The office will be in charge of pulling together a list of projects for consideration. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said she thinks there will be “a long wait” before that list could be shared with First Nations.
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Earlier this week, nine Ontario First Nations filed a lawsuit seeking to have Bill C-5 and Ontario’s Bill 5 struck down, calling for an injunction. Bill 5 allows for the creation of “special economic zones” where any provincial law could be suspended.
Next week, Mr. Carney is expected to hold a similar meeting with the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee and then Métis leadership soon after.
He also said there will be a regional dialogue and consultation process to provide opportunity for input and feedback.
First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities will be able to access $40-million in funding to support their participation in the implementation of C-5, and also to apply to a $10-billion Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program to help them acquire an ownership stake in whatever is developed.