Manitoba First Nations leaders say they want to hear more about reconciliation in federal election

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 02, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Some First Nations leaders successful Manitoba accidental they're disappointed reconciliation has taken a backmost spot truthful acold successful the national election campaign.

The issues of Canadian sovereignty, and which enactment volition beryllium astir susceptible of handling U.S. President Donald Trump and the ongoing trade war, have overshadowed different issues that are important to Indigenous communities, says Renee Greyeyes, president and CEO of the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce Manitoba.

"At the national level we haven't heard a full batch … particularly erstwhile it comes to Indigenous businesses oregon what supports are going to beryllium there" during the campaign, present successful its 2nd week, she said successful an interview.

Brokenhead Ojibway Nation Chief Gordon Bluesky said helium would similar to spot the prosperity of First Nations mentioned "in the aforesaid breath" arsenic the remainder of the country's, arsenic parties marque pledges to fortify the system amid U.S. pressure.

"I'm inactive waiting for that ample announcement, whether it beryllium successful our infrastructure, whether it beryllium successful … our economical gaps that we have," helium told CBC.

"We person each these communities with a batch of these low-hanging fruits and challenges … [which] I truly judge that the national authorities and the provincial authorities tin truly travel unneurotic on, and to truly commencement to physique and make reconciliation."

During a run halt successful Winnipeg Tuesday, Liberal Leader Mark Carney responded to reporters' questions astir his commitments to reconciliation by pointing to actions helium took soon aft becoming premier minister, including gathering with the enactment of Indigenous organizations and doubling an Indigenous indebtedness warrant program.

"The process of reconciliation, which is cardinal to our country, fundamentally portion of our being … must proceed," helium said. "This is simply a agelong process, but we've taken those archetypal steps to determination forward."

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Tuesday his authorities would found an Indigenous opportunities corporation, which would connection indebtedness guarantees to Indigenous communities arsenic portion of a bid of commitments the enactment says volition velocity up vigor projects and extremity the sector's dependence connected the U.S. market. 

"We privation to springiness power to First Nations truthful that they tin marque these investments," Poilievre said. 

A spokesperson from the national NDP said successful an email the enactment remains committed to moving alongside Indigenous communities arsenic they "empower, uplift and request justness for their peoples."

Meanwhile, the Assembly of First Nations is calling connected each national parties to perpetrate to upholding rights and advancing nation-to-nation relationships if they signifier government. 

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said successful a quality merchandise Tuesday that much than $50 cardinal worthy of projects are acceptable to motorboat connected accepted lands implicit the adjacent decade.

"The imaginable payment of these projects is successful the trillions of dollars," she said. "They correspond a cornerstone of Canada's aboriginal economical growth, but they won't beforehand without First Nations support."

Reconciliation astatine halfway of assets development: chief

Derek Nepinak, main of Minegoziibe Anishinabe — a occidental Manitoba First Nation formerly known arsenic Pine Creek — said that portion reconciliation isn't beforehand and centre successful the run starring up to the April 28 election, it's astatine the halfway of debates surrounding issues similar assets development.

"If anyone's going to beryllium developing … Canada's affluent mineral wealth, they're going to person to spell done Indigenous leadership," Nepinak said successful an interview.

"That means negotiation, consultation, accommodations and reconciliation being astatine the bosom of those conversations."

Nepinak said helium believes that whitethorn bespeak a displacement successful however reconciliation is talked astir going into the future.

"It doesn't diminish oregon instrumentality distant from the value of reconciliation by … not having it embedded successful a platform," helium said.

Brokenhead Ojibway Nation's Bluesky said some Indigenous radical whitethorn person historically opposed voting due to the fact that of Canada's assemblage roots, but much are starting to judge their voices do matter, helium said.

"We tin truly commencement to marque existent changes … if we were to enactment together," said Bluesky.

WATCH | First Nations leaders privation much absorption connected Indigenous issues successful campaign: