This week something significant happened. First Nations leadership came together with premiers from across the country and made a unified call for a national first ministers’ meeting with First Nations. The consensus was clear: it’s time.
First Nations leadership in Manitoba made that same call during the recent First Nations summit on Bill C-5 with Prime Minister Mark Carney. That gathering reinforced what many of our nations have long said: real change requires real dialogue—at the highest levels of government—and it must happen out in the open.
Now, the federal government must do its part. And when it does, this meeting must not be held behind closed doors.
The last time Indigenous leadership sat at the same table with first ministers at a formal meeting was in December 2018, when First Nations were officially included in both bilateral and full-table discussions. At the time, it was seen as a hopeful shift toward nation-to-nation relationships. But little came of it. The event was private, the outcomes unclear, and the momentum quickly faded.
Today, the stakes are even higher. First Nations continue to face urgent challenges—from the housing crisis and youth suicide to ongoing land dispossession, boil water advisories, the legacy of residential institutions, and the heartbreak of our missing and murdered relatives. At the same time, we are expected to respond to legislation and national initiatives—like Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act—that are often designed without our full participation.
If Canada is serious about partnership, then a meeting with the premiers must reflect that. And it begins with transparency.
This meeting must be public—broadcast from beginning to end. Canadians have the right to see and hear the reality of the Crown–First Nations relationship—not in summary, but in full. The public should witness what First Nations are calling for, how governments respond, and who steps up with courage and clarity. Reconciliation cannot happen in the dark.
A public meeting would also reflect how First Nations have always governed: in the open, in front of our people, grounded in accountability to our nations. Canada must meet us in that same spirit.
This meeting cannot be symbolic. It must focus on First Nations priorities—not just federal and provincial talking points. That means building an agenda rooted in treaty rights, inherent jurisdiction, and the urgent need to transform broken systems in health, education, child welfare, justice, housing, and economic development. It means moving away from programs imposed by Ottawa or provincial capitals and instead supporting First Nations to exercise their own laws and authorities.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs—representing 63 sovereign nations—is ready to help lead that conversation. We are guided by our sacred treaties, our laws, and our responsibilities to future generations. We are not interested in performative politics. We are demanding results.
We commend all leadership who came to the table in good faith. The collaboration and unity shown this week is a clear sign of what’s possible when all governments work together.
Now the decision rests with the prime minister. Will he step forward and honour this moment, or allow it to pass like so many before it?
The path to real transformation begins here with a first ministers’ meeting that is public, partnership-driven, and centered on First Nations.
Let it happen in public. Let it be historic. Let it bring real change.
Grand Chief Kyra Wilson is Anishinaabe from Long Plain First Nation, and was elected as the second woman and youngest Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in January 2025.
The Hill Times