PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte spoke at a press conference following a meeting with other First Nations and Prime Minister Mark Carney regarding Bill C-5. (Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs/Facebook)

By paNOW Staff

Meeting with the Prime Minister

First Nations leaders call Bill C-5 ‘colonization in 2025’ following meeting with PM

Jul 17, 2025 | 5:47 PM

Some First Nations leaders walked out of a meeting today with the prime minister regarding the Liberal’s major projects law, saying it undermines treaty rights and Indigenous sovereignty.

Mark Carney began the meeting on Thursday saying he was optimistic about finding consensus on Bill C-5, but First Nations chiefs expressed frustration about not having enough time to engage with Carney and cabinet ministers.

The Building Canada Act allows the government to fast-track major industrial projects that are deemed to be in the national interest. The law was passed less than a month after it was introduced. The chiefs were granted the one-day meeting after several First Nations said they were not respected by the government pushing the legislation through.

As part of the implementation of Bill C-5, the government said there would be an Indigenous Advisory Council with First Nations, Inuit and Métis representatives, that would advise the government on issues related to the Building Canada Act, including best practices for Indigenous consultations.

During a press conference following the summit, Chief Sheldon Sunshine of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation criticized the Indigenous Advisory Council.

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“It will be used to manufacture consent on legislation and policies that affect all Indigenous people including treaty nations,” said Sunshine. “A small group of hand selected advisors cannot speak on behalf of hundreds of distinct nations with sovereign governance structures. The advisory council isn’t grounded in treaty relationship. It’s a colonial construct created by the federal government to advise crown ministers…not to assert their nation-to-nation or treaty-to-crown dialogue. It’s existence and operation undercuts our treaty rights by placing our future in the hands of an unelected body that reports to the Prime Minister’s office, not to our people.”

Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte was part of the group that travelled to meet with the Prime Minister. He said there was no meaningful consultation with First Nations.

“Yet the federal government is speaking as though we agreed to this. We will not be sidelined. Our treaties are not symbolic – they are foundation,” Hardlotte said.

Earlier in the month, PAGC policy analyst Rob McLeod, led a legal review of the Bill C-5 legislation and said it’s a tool for fast-tracking resource development, designed to remove First Nations from the process.

“It contradicts Canada’s own constitution and international commitments,” McLeod said.

A Denesuline chief from Fon du Lac referred to ongoing environmental harm in northern Saskatchewan as a warning of what can happen ‘when governments and corporations act without Indigenous oversight.’ In a press release, Chief Ronnie Augier cited the long-standing contamination in Uranium City where he said 27 abandoned mine sites were transferred to the province without proper remediation.

“We opposed the handover because our lakes are still polluted and unsafe,” said Chief Augier. “There are no signs warning people not to fish or drink the water. This is the legacy we’re left with — and it must not be repeated.”

Much of the hastily organized meeting Thursday consisted of free time for chiefs to discuss the legislation with one another, instead of having direct engagement with government.

Chief Phyllis Whitford of O’Chiese First Nation of Alberta said the meetings were “political theatre” and not meaningful consultation.

“This is a pre-determined process — a process that is disrespectful, top-down and (that) divided Indigenous leaders, by privileging some voices over others,” she said.

Chief Vernon Watchmaker of Kehewin Cree Nation, also of Alberta, predicted more court battles leading to less investor confidence, thanks to legislation that centralizes power in Ottawa.

“That is not modernization. It is colonization in 2025,” he said.

Some Indigenous communities have welcomed the legislation, including some Alberta communities with economic stakes in energy projects and the Manitoba Métis Federation. Others say they are ready to undertake widespread, disruptive protests against specific projects.

-With files from The Canadian Press