Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says the Carney government’s federal budget “represents a significant setback” for First Nations communities.
The Assembly of First Nations National Chief on Tuesday also slammed the federal and provincial government for a Nov. 27
memorandum of understanding (MOU)
intended to make Canada a “global energy superpower” without “free, prior and informed consent,” she said — “as if First Nations rights can be wiped away with one federal, provincial MOU.”
“The truth is that Canada can create all the MOUs, project offices, advisory groups, that they want. The Chiefs are united. When it comes to approving large national projects on First Nations lands, there will not be getting around rights holders,” she said, addressing the crowd at the Special Chiefs Assembly in Ottawa.
Speaking to reporters before a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Marc Miller was asked about the government receiving pushback for signing the MOU without consulting with Indigenous leaders.
“The work starts now. It should have started yesterday. We need to engage with Indigenous communities in a respectful, thoughtful way,” he said. “There are communities that have very, very strong views on that. Getting to ‘yes’ is a difficult and complex process, but it can’t be done from a desktop.”
He said the government must show a “personal commitment to making sure they are improving lives of communities … and getting benefits into communities if and when a pipeline is to be approved.”
Woodhouse Nepinak said that First Nations communities were not only fighting for their own environmental rights, but for all Canadians. “While (Donald) Trump threatens Canada from the south, threats of separation are also fuelled by Alberta and Quebec politicians in the east and in the west. And all around us, climate change threatens our communities and our quality of life,” she said.
“Alberta and Quebec chiefs have been the most vocal opponents of provincial separatists, and First Nations have always stood shoulder to shoulder with Canadians against Trump’s illegal tariffs. So we understand it’s a critical and uncertain time in this country’s history, because Canada is at a crossroads in its relationship with First Nations.”
She called out the 2025 federal budget for its shortcomings, especially since it was the “new government’s first chance to build back some of the some of the trust” after
was “rammed through Parliament in 20 days without consultation.” The bill was passed in June.
It “allows the federal Cabinet to fast-track major projects such as highways, pipelines, and energy projects,”
according to First Nations advocacy group Chiefs of Ontario
. The approval process bypasses “many standard regulatory requirements,” including consultation.
“Although the federal government has claimed that Indigenous participation was considered, the law was developed and passed without meaningful consultation or the free, prior, and informed consent of First Nations,” Chiefs of Ontario says.
“Last month’s budget was also an opportunity to demonstrate through deeds that First Nations voices matter to this new administration. I wish I was here to say that we accomplished that mission,” said Woodhouse Nepinak. “Sadly, the 2025 federal budget represents a significant setback.”
She added that she did recognize some investments were made for housing, but said that leadership still had to fight very hard to stave off a 15 per cent cut to Indigenous services.
“We fought hard for that, but it should not have been so difficult. When the best that we can say is that Indigenous services is only being cut by $2 to $3 billion, we know that there is a problem — especially when provincial transfers for health, for education and social services have gone up by 5 per cent,” she said. “Sadly, instead of closing the gap between First Nations and Canadians, this budget makes things more difficult.”
Later on Tuesday, First Nations chiefs voted unanimously in favour of pushing the government to keep an oil tanker ban in place off the northern coast of B.C., the Canadian Press reported.
Last month’s MOU states that if an Alberta pipeline is approved, bitumen may be exported to Asian markets, which means the
may have to be adjusted. The Act prohibits oil tankers carrying more than 12,500 tons of crude oil from mooring, loading, unloading or anchoring in that area.
“Over $600 billion of projects are forecast to be launched on our traditional lands over the next decade,” said Woodhouse Nepinak.
“The potential benefits are in the trillions of dollars, but they won’t advance without First Nation support until an appropriate development process is established and founded in free, prior, informed consent.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to deliver remarks at the Special Chiefs Assembly on Tuesday afternoon.
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