First Nations leaders meet PM Mark Carney and premiers in Ottawa, as chiefs debate what comes next

The Story

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says she is approaching a Monday meeting in Ottawa with Prime Minister Mark Carney and provincial premiers with a sense of urgency, while warning First Nations leaders want the outcome to go beyond a single engagement.

Woodhouse Nepinak described the meeting as historic and said she does not want it to be “one-and-done,” adding she hopes it does not “fall flat and not offer hope again.”

The meeting comes as Carney pursues measures aimed at speeding up major project approvals, a move some First Nations chiefs say threatens their rights. The tensions intensified after Carney was elected in 2025, when his government passed legislation to create an office tasked with streamlining major project development and approving projects within one year.

First Nations leaders say compressed timelines could interfere with their rights and lead to court challenges, with similar legislation reported in multiple provinces.

The AFN says it has been preparing for months, including by holding town halls with chiefs to discuss priorities for what it describes as the First Nations–First Ministers meeting in Ottawa.

Woodhouse Nepinak said the meeting will be preceded by a day of ceremony on Sunday hosted by the AFN, and she said such ceremonies were once prohibited under the Indian Act.

For Monday’s closed-door session, Woodhouse Nepinak said First Nations will be represented largely by regional chiefs from the AFN, while the Privy Council Office has not identified which premiers will attend. She also said she continues to press the Privy Council Office to broadcast the meeting publicly.

One of the key goals for First Nations leaders entering the meeting is a First Nations sovereign wealth fund, proposed by the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. The proposed fund would pool capital so communities can invest in long-term projects and, according to Chippewas of the Thames First Nation Chief Joe Miskokomon, could allow major projects to be developed faster by giving communities more authority over investments.

The AFN has also released position papers in advance of the meeting on areas including economic development, policing and public safety, employment, and health.

The meeting is described as the first such gathering since 2005, when premiers and then-prime minister Paul Martin met with Indigenous leaders in Kelowna, B.C., aiming to address socioeconomic gaps. Woodhouse Nepinak said politicians will need political will and consistency to avoid another outcome like the one that followed then.

Some leaders outside the AFN leadership have signalled concern about the process. Treaty 8 Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi said it is inappropriate for a “third-party organization” to sit alongside decision-makers instead of grassroots leadership, calling the process unacceptable.

Chief Pete Chief, of Onion Lake Cree Nation, said in comments attributed to him that an Oct. 26 gathering should ensure the voices and authority of independent treaty nations are not overlooked, while stating that his community follows its own path.

Woodhouse Nepinak said she expects First Nations leaders, elders, and youth in Ottawa for the meeting to reflect the breadth of views, including those opposed to the format.

She said she wants “proper discussions and proper debates on finding the path forward,” adding: “That’s all we can do, try our best every day.”