First Nations leaders prepare for Ottawa meeting with Carney

First Nations leaders are preparing to meet Prime Minister Mark Carney and provincial and territorial premiers in Ottawa on October 26, in the first First Nations-First Ministers gathering of its kind since 2005. A day of ceremony organized by the Assembly of First Nations is scheduled for October 25, ahead of the closed-door meeting. The Assembly of First Nations has spent months consulting chiefs and released position papers covering economic development, policing and public safety, employment, and health. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak has said the meeting should lead to sustained engagement, rather than a one-time gathering, and that lasting work will require continued political will. The agenda is expected to address rights, treaties, jurisdiction, economic partnerships and major projects. First Nations leaders have raised concerns about legislation intended to accelerate major project approvals, saying compressed timelines and limited consultation could threaten their rights. The meeting comes amid broader disagreements over development proposals and governments’ decision-making processes. A First Nations sovereign wealth fund is among the ideas under discussion,...