First Nations chiefs gather in Ottawa for October meeting

Hundreds of First Nations chiefs are gathered in Ottawa for the Assembly of First Nations annual general assembly, a three-day meeting that began on July 14 and will focus on securing a permanent role in national decision-making and addressing urgent community priorities. The assembly’s agenda includes debate on 53 resolutions covering topics from major resource projects and child welfare to calls for the Vatican to rescind historical papal decrees.

A central theme is a planned meeting this fall between First Nations chiefs, Prime Minister Mark Carney, and provincial and territorial premiers. In her opening remarks on July 14, National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak confirmed the Prime Minister’s Office has scheduled the meeting for October, fulfilling a promise Carney made last December. She described securing the meeting as a difficult achievement and emphasized it must not be a one-time event. Woodhouse Nepinak stated that establishing an ongoing accountability mechanism is essential to address socioeconomic gaps through concrete actions. She has long criticized the exclusion of First Nations from first ministers meetings as disrespectful, a concern that intensified last year...