‘Colonization in 2025’: Alberta First Nation Chiefs blast Carney’s Bill C-5

First Nations Chiefs from Treaty 6 and 8 say Prime Minister Mark Carney is violating their rights by failing to properly consult on legislation intended to fast track major projects – like pipelines.

Several chiefs from Alberta blasted Bill C-5 at a press conference Thursday afternoon in Ottawa, where Carney is meeting with hundreds of First Nations leaders.

“Bill C-5 centralizes power in Ottawa, lets cabinet overwrite environmental laws and ignore treaty and inherent rights,” said Chief Vernon Watchmaker of Kehewin Cree Nation. “That is not modernization. That is colonization in 2025.”

“Where is the reconciliation?” asked Chief Joey Pete of Sunchild First Nation. “There is none. Just mandates and more bills coming each and every day. Meanwhile, our people continue to suffer and starve.”

Journalists were not permitted to be in the room for most of the meeting.

Carney delivered opening remarks, took some questions and said he was there to listen.

“This is enabling legislation,” said the Canadian prime minister. “It doesn’t say which projects, it doesn’t say how we’re going to build them. Second point is to, the first thing we do, is to sit down and discuss exactly that in an open way.”

But by mid-afternoon some leaders had walked out of the summit.

Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Grand Chief Cody Diabo says he took the microphone to express his frustration before leaving the meeting, saying chiefs expected to have time to engage with the prime minister and cabinet ministers but instead were asked to talk to one another.

“I don’t even know what this is, but this is not engagement. This is definitely not consultation. I’m speechless,” Diabo said, calling the meeting “a facade.”

The closed-door meeting was promised in June after chiefs said their rights were not respected by the government pushing the legislation through Parliament. The law was passed, with support from the Conservatives, less than a month after it was introduced.

It allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects that are deemed to be in the national interest, including by sidestepping existing laws.

The government plans to hold similar meetings with Inuit and Métis leadership in the coming weeks. Carney said he will meet with Inuit leaders in Inuvik, N.W.T. in 10 days time, though a spokeswoman for him later said she could not confirm either that date or location.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has applauded Bill C-5 in hopes it will help get more pipelines built.

–With files from The Canadian Press