Assembly of First Nations says major projects office, infrastructure on meeting agenda
CBC
Assembly of First Nations chiefs are gathering this week in Ottawa for their annual December meeting, which will include discussions on the federal government’s major projects office and the urgent need for First Nations infrastructure, the AFN says.
The three-day meeting begins Tuesday, less than a week after the Canadian and Alberta governments jointly announced a new pipeline deal, meaning the chiefs would need to consider an emergency resolution to address that issue.
The AFN advocates for more than 630 chiefs across Canada, who meet twice a year in person to set their policy priorities.
The national advocacy organization also said in a Friday news release that Prime Minister Mark Carney will address the assembly, and several cabinet ministers will be in attendance.
This would be Carney’s first time attending an official AFN assembly since winning a minority government in April, but not his first time facing First Nations leaders with questions about his agenda.
The prime minister earned mixed reviews in July following a hastily called summit designed to ease First Nations’ concerns about the Building Canada Act, which empowers cabinet to fast-track approvals for major projects deemed to be in the national interest.
Since then, the Carney government has referred two tranches of projects to the government’s new major projects office, on top of the pipeline agreement with the Alberta government.
That memorandum of understanding mentions Indigenous co-ownership and economic benefits repeatedly as a goal, however First Nations groups in B.C. were quick to raise objections.
Marilyn Slett, chief of the Heiltsuk Nation on the B.C. coast, said in a news release, “This pipeline project will never happen.” The B.C. AFN said it stands with the coastal First Nations and wants “all governments to abandon this pipeline project.”
The pipeline deal commits Canada and Alberta to respecting Indigenous rights and treaty rights and “engaging in early, consistent, and meaningful consultation” with Indigenous peoples.
According to a draft agenda published by the AFN, the chiefs will hear directly from the major projects office and its Indigenous advisory committee on Wednesday.
The chiefs are also slated to discuss Bill S-2, proposed legislation introduced in the Senate to make certain changes to the Indian Act, including eliminating the “second-generation cutoff” rule.
This rule provides that children are not eligible for Indian status after two generations of one non-status parent.
More than three dozen policy resolutions are also up for debate, and emergency resolutions are also typically brought forward to address urgent issues.
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