OTTAWA — The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says she doesn’t blame First Nations leaders who are voicing frustration with governments promising to fast-track development in their territories in the name of national unity.
Some chiefs are even citing the Indigenous rights protest movement Idle No More that took hold under former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government as it looked to ramp up resource development.
National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says that when First Nations are not at the table making decisions from the start, “it causes the Canadian government more problems later.”
In the throne speech read yesterday by King Charles, the federal government vowed to eliminate all federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility by Canada Day.
It also promised to reconfigure approval processes for infrastructure projects to fast-track projects of “national significance.”
Woodhouse Nepinak says First Nations across the country are united on the need to ensure their treaty and inherent rights are respected, and she expects to speak with Prime Minister Mark Carney in the days ahead.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025.
Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
