'We can't be left out:' Indigenous leaders want action, inclusion as election heats up

Brett Forester · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 3:13 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

It's on.

Canada's 45th national predetermination is underway and Indigenous leaders are demanding action, hoping their peoples' past sacrifices to unafraid and support this state aren't forgotten as the commercialized and affordability focused run heats up.

"As we spot the threats astatine our borders, we person to person First Nations radical astatine the table," said Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, nationalist main of the Assembly of First Nations.

"We can't beryllium near retired anymore connected our ain homeland. Look astatine the War of 1812. First Nations radical were determination successful each war …. We fought hard for this country."

Now, arsenic U.S. President Donald Trump taunts Canadian politicians, musing openly astir annexing his bluish neighbour, Woodhouse Nepinak is not the lone Indigenous person pointing retired their peoples' contributions.

"We've already lived done a beauteous monolithic militarization successful our homeland successful beforehand of our precise eyes, and we've lived with the fallout of that," said Natan Obed, president of nationalist typical enactment Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

Many Inuit were forcefully relocated to the High Arctic successful the Cold War, used as "human flagpoles" to asseverate Canadian sovereignty. Much of the infrastructure successful Arctic hub communities was really built by the U.S. military, helium said.

"We inactive stay patriotic Canadians," helium said.

"We inactive privation to assistance support Canada against overseas threats but our communities are rather acrophobic that past whitethorn repetition itself successful not respecting our rights oregon our treaties."

David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, was speedy to constituent retired it was the Red River Métis who ushered Manitoba into Confederation.

"We helped physique Canada," helium said.

"Our relation successful helping physique Canada has a beardown humanities interaction to us, and we're precise arrogant Canadians. We went to World War I, we went to World War II to support our country."

Whether it's tariffs, economical development, affordability oregon housing, Métis governments inactive request to beryllium included successful predetermination platforms, added Victoria Pruden, president of the Métis National Council, representing Métis governments successful Alberta and Ontario.

"We're truly hoping to spot much distinctions-based platforms and priorities being articulated from each parties," she said.

Unfinished business

Woodhouse Nepinak, Obed and Pruden met with Liberal Leader Mark Carney past Friday, 2 days earlier the erstwhile cardinal banker triggered a wide election. Woodhouse Nepinak has met with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and plans to conscionable with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.

The nationalist chief, whose AFN advocates for much than 630 First Nations countrywide, said her priorities are economical reconciliation, honouring promises, the well-being of children and families, and policing and assemblage safety.

"If they privation to speech astir economics and making this state work, put successful First Nations people. When you put successful First Nations people, you put successful Canada," she said.

Meanwhile, some Carney and Poilievre person acceptable their sights connected Arctic sovereignty, with the Conservative pledging a caller military base and the Liberal re-announcing more than $6 billion for an aboriginal informing radar system.

Obed said helium afloat expects enactment platforms to besides see not conscionable militarization, but plans for mixed-used infrastructure, lodging and a intelligibly articulated program to trim overcrowding, portion besides respecting modern treaties and Inuit rights.

"It is clip for action. We've had a decennary of deliberations astir the large social, taste and governmental issues of our times. The authorities of Canada afloat understands the positions of Canadian Inuit," helium said.

Chartrand said MMF is focused connected warring the commercialized war, including by cancelling and banning U.S. travel, refusing to bargain American and withdrawing from societal media level X. Other priorities see MMF's onshore claim, kid and household services, and housing.

Pruden said her priorities see continued advancement connected bills, policies, programs and authorities introduced nether Trudeau. She said the talks with Carney were "straight up, authentic," wherever helium committed to further entrenching the Liberals' Indigenous kid payment law, C-92.

"This isn't an abstract idea. There are Métis children, younker and families for whom concerns are matters of beingness and death. It's not conscionable policy, it's not conscionable programs. We truly request to spot immoderate traction," she said.

Chartrand said the MMF has a campaign successful the works encompassing nonstop outreach to national leaders, tens of thousands of emails to Red River Métis citizens positive billboards and communications.

Chartrand has met with different leaders but expressed interest and astonishment that aft years of trying, the MMF has been incapable to unafraid a due gathering with Poilievre. 

"I honestly bash not understand, due to the fact that I person a batch of radical that ballot passim the West," helium said, adding bluntly, "We cognize Métis citizens ballot Conservative. Why would they beryllium voting Conservative if the enactment doesn't adjacent respect them?"

While Chartrand was a vocal Trudeau supporter, the Métis person insisted helium isn't partisan, telling CBC Indigenous helium voted for Progressive Conservative premier curate Brian Mulroney and supported Joe Clark's short-lived tenure arsenic premier minister.

All 4 leaders said they won't beryllium formally endorsing anyone.