Critics of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s economic reconciliation agenda say it sidelines Indigenous rights and traditional economies while fast-tracking project approvals.
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Critics say Prime Minister Mark Carney’s focus on economic reconciliation is not on track to deliver full reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, pointing to concerns about treaty rights, project timelines, and Indigenous consent.
Wilton Littlechild, who previously co-chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said economic reconciliation remains key, but not in the way Carney sees it.
Littlechild said Carney has been focused on securing overseas investments while ignoring what he described as the rights of Indigenous Peoples at home, including by fast-tracking legislation that would allow for quicker project approvals and environmental reviews.
He argued that the approach risks alienating Indigenous communities and described the federal government’s reconciliation efforts as missing “true respect for Indigenous rights,” saying it is “like a four-legged stool with one leg missing.”
Littlechild also said an aggressive resource-development approach could damage traditional economies, including hunting, fishing and trapping.
In the federal government’s agenda under Carney, economic reconciliation is tied to an “aggressive major projects” approach in the context of trade pressures described as a trade war involving the United States.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission referenced economic reconciliation in two of its 94 Calls to Action, including calls for corporate engagement in meaningful consultations before proceeding with economic development projects and for ensuring Indigenous people have equitable access to jobs in those projects.
Critics also pointed to legislation intended to speed up approvals. The federal government’s Bill C-39, known as the Building Canada Strong Act, seeks to approve projects within one year, which some First Nations chiefs say would severely compress timelines for land-use assessments and consultations.
Hayden King, executive director of the Yellowhead Institute, questioned what he described as federal “institutional” commitments, saying First Nations are still waiting for clean drinking water legislation, improved access to health care, action on the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and steps to reduce incarceration and over-policing.
King said Carney’s approach aligns more closely with former prime minister Stephen Harper than with Justin Trudeau, citing the earlier introduction of legislation to speed up approvals and the Idle No More protests that occurred in 2012.
King also described Carney’s “carrot” approach, including the cabinet’s encouragement for First Nations to back the Trans Mountain pipeline through a low-cost loan and a $2.5 million payment for willing investors, which he said some compare to a bribe.
Yellowhead Institute’s concerns included that reconciliation can’t be achieved until Indigenous groups no longer have to fight for their rights and land in court, and that consent requires knowing details before decisions are made.
Stephanie Scott, who heads the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, said economic reconciliation can help create opportunities and strengthen communities, but reconciliation is ultimately about people, including survivors and future generations.
Scott also warned about residential school denialism, saying it risks unwinding progress and remains a source of harm to Indigenous Peoples.
Scott pointed to legislation introduced by NDP MP Leah Gazan to criminalize residential school denialism, noting Liberals have not indicated support for the measure.
She said the preservation of the historical record by trusted institutions is especially important as truth is challenged and distorted.
The wider discussion of reconciliation unfolded around National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which honours children who attended residential schools and remembers those who never came home.
Scott’s comments came as Roseanne Casimir, chief of Tk̓emlups te Secwepemc First Nation, said that on Sunday a group of masked individuals dropped a banner from an overpass in Kamloops, B.C., bearing the words “Got bones?” and questioning reports of human burials at the former sites of residential schools.
Littlechild said the path forward involves working together both on the economy and on social issues affecting Indigenous communities, saying barriers remain in place when Indigenous participation is not included.
The account references a report that was first published Sept. 30, 2026.
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