Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during the First Nations Summit at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau in July.Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney will address First Nations leaders in Ottawa next week, according to the Assembly of First Nations.
The organization, which advocates on behalf of 634 communities, said its Special Chiefs Assembly will take place from Tuesday through Thursday.
Mr. Carney “will address the Assembly and several cabinet ministers will be in attendance over the three days,” the AFN said in a statement.
Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty and Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty are expected to speak, while Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartand is scheduled to attend, according to spokespeople from their respective offices.
Coastal First Nations in B.C. say they’re prepared to challenge pipeline projects in court
Assembly of First Nations meetings can be politically challenging places for prime ministers and other politicians. The events typically feature open and frank debates.
Last December, then-prime-minister Justin Trudeau was grilled about a number of issues, including systemic racism in policing and broken promises from 2015.
And in July, 2024, a small group of delegates turned their backs while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre spoke. It was the first time Mr. Poilievre had attended such an assembly in an attempt to move on from his party’s historically fraught relationship with First Nations.
Mr. Carney’s address will come the week after signing a memorandum of understanding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. That deal pledges support for a bitumen pipeline from the province’s oil sands to British Columbia tidewater, assuming certain conditions are met – including a private-sector proponent and Indigenous support.
While the MOU promises the governments will engage in “early, consistent, and meaningful consultation” with First Nations along any pipeline route, it does not promise to obtain consent from Indigenous communities.
If the proposed pipeline goes ahead, the federal government said it would adjust a current oil tanker ban for B.C.’s north coast. Coastal First Nations president Marilyn Slett has been vocally opposed to the idea, and said Thursday that her group will do everything in its power to ensure the project never proceeds – including mounting a legal challenge if needed.
Alberta First Nations, however, seemed more supportive of the MOU and several leaders attended Ms. Smith’s press conference.
A provisional agenda for the Special Chiefs Assembly calls for a discussion on the Building Canada Act’s Major Projects Office and the Indigenous Advisory Council.
Known as Bill C-5, the law aims to fast-track infrastructure projects the federal government deems as in the “national interest.” Some First Nations have voiced concerns the legislation could violate their treaty rights and environmental protections, while others have said they are cautiously optimistic about the potential opportunities.
Another discussion will focus on the latest federal budget and First Nations infrastructure financing.