First Nations Warn Carney’s Push to Build Canada Could Tear It Apart – The Walrus

Aug. 8, 2025

The prime minister’s fast-track law has already set off a wave of Indigenous protest

From the moment he took office, Prime Minister Mark Carney made moves to show his commitment to Indigenous peoples. In March, he met with the leaders of the three main Indigenous organizations: the Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. In May, amid US president Donald Trump’s threats to Canadian sovereignty, King Charles III delivered a speech from the throne that placed reconciliation at the heart of the national story. That same month, Carney appointed Cree member of Parliament Mandy Gull-Masty to lead Indigenous Services Canada. The former grand chief of Eeyou Istchee became the first Indigenous person to hold the post.

But less than five months into the job, Carney has already blundered on his early promises. Just before Canada Day, Parliament passed Bill C‑5, officially the One Canadian Economy Act. At its core is the Building Canada Act, a sweeping law that gives the federal government new powers to fast-track infrastructure and energy projects deemed to be in the “national interest.” Paired with a companion law aimed at reducing interprovincial trade barriers, the legislation was pitched as a bold response to Trump’s tariffs.

Read More: https://thewalrus.ca/first-nations-warn-carneys-push-to-build-canada-risks-tearing-it-apart/