AFN chief says First Nations should be at the centre of Canada-U.S. tariffs talks

By Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press on January 16, 2025.

OTTAWA – The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says First Nations should be at the centre of any discussions on how the country should respond to threats of tariffs by incoming president Donald Trumpon territorial sovereignty.

Trump has threatened 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian goods on the first day he’s in office next week, and has quipped Canada should become the 51st state.

Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says Trump’s rhetoric is “outlandish” and “disrespectful” considering territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples on both sides of the border are recognized by international law and predate the founding of both countries.

She adds that First Nations in Canada hold the key to much of Canada’s wealth, critical minerals and energy resources that are essential to domestic prosperity and trade with the United States.

Because of that, she says First Nations should be at the heart of any decisions on economic development and trade Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and premiers may be making.

She and other Indigenous leaders met with Trudeau Wednesday morning and raised the same concerns, including cross-border mobility for First Nations peoples, and that she will have more to say in the coming weeks about material changes she advocated for.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2025.

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