Key ministers address Assembly of First Nations in Ottawa after Hodgson is bumped

Author and Indigenous studies analyst Eldon Yellowhorn says pipeline spill fears, unsafe water, and outdated status rules continue to burden communities.

OTTAWA -- Several key federal cabinet ministers addressed the Assembly of First Nations gathering in Ottawa Thursday, including Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne.

But Energy Minister Tim Hodgson -- who is helping to advance Prime Minister Mark Carney’s major projects agenda -- was taken off the agenda, despite being previously scheduled to appear before the chiefs Thursday.

Hodgson’s office said he would still take part in a midday meeting with B.C. chiefs but would not be speaking on the panel he was initially slated to join. His office said at first that the decision was made by “organizers” -- and later clarified that it meant organizers from the federal government’s side.

“There was a shuffling of the agenda by organizers from the federal government, not at (Natural Resources Canada). Minister Hodgson would have been happy to participate in the panel and was very glad to meet with chiefs on-site today,” said Hodgson’s spokesperson Carolyn Svonkin.

Hodgson landed in hot water last week when he brushed off concerns from Coastal First Nations about his failure to meet with them before signing the pipeline agreement with Alberta.

“It’s called Zoom,” Hodgson quipped on CBC’s Power and Politics when asked about Coastal First Nations president Marilyn Slett’s inability to make the trip to Vancouver on short notice for a meeting.

He later apologized for those remarks, saying on social media it was a “poor choice of words” and offering to meet with the First Nations “at their convenience.”

Last month, the federal and Alberta governments signed an agreement committing them to working toward building an oil pipeline to the West Coast -- and opening the door to changes to the coastal tanker ban.

The agreement says Ottawa’s commitment is contingent on the pipeline being approved as a project of national interest, and on the project providing “opportunities for Indigenous co-ownership and shared economic benefits.”

Following Hodgson’s meeting with B.C. chiefs, Indigenous resource lawyer Merle Alexander said he wasn’t satisfied by what he heard from the minister about the proposed pipeline.

“I think they’re withholding information,” said Alexander, who was serving as a proxy for Heiltsuk First Nation Chief Marilyn Slett.

“I suspect that their conversation has advanced, that there is a potential proponent or a conglomeration of proponents … That’s not good-faith action.”

The federal government’s major projects agenda was a major theme of this week’s gathering, which sees chiefs vote on resolutions that the AFN -- which serves as their advocacy body -- works to implement.

And while only chiefs and their proxies have voting power, a youth delegation from northern Ontario attending the gathering made it clear Thursday that they intend to protect their lands and waters -- and they expect the chiefs to do the same.

“We’re being attacked,” said Ramon Kataquapit, a youth councillor and founder of First Nations youth movement Okiniwak.

“We’re in a time where we’re fighting for our way of life. The government, they’re after us. They’re after our rights, after our treaties … This is a ticking time bomb. We see that very clearly.”

Jeronimo Kataquapit from Attawapiskat First Nation, who is a member of youth-led Here We Stand and who has opposed development in the mineral-rich Ring of Fire, called federal and provincial legislation meant to fast-track development an attack on First Nations rights.

“(The land) is where we come from. It’s who we are -- the lands, the water, the rivers, all of it,” he said.

“It’s our responsibility to protect the land, protect the water. It’s who we are as First Nations people from coast to coast and in all four directions.”

Champagne, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty addressed the chiefs Thursday morning. They defended the recent federal budget and pointed to sections of the fiscal plan they said could benefit Indigenous communities.

“With this budget, we’re really working on putting forward measures that strengthen First Nations’ economic power and autonomy,” Alty said. “We’re investing in capacity, expanding access to capital and making sure that opportunities don’t bypass First Nations.”

Champagne said Indigenous partnership is essential to speeding up major projects, boosting economic growth and strengthening Canada’s position at home and abroad.

He said the budget put Indigenous priorities “at the heart” of the economic strategy.

“Indigenous people have always been part of the fabric of this country and they will be part in shaping a common future,” Champagne said.

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak has said Budget 2025 failed First Nations because it did not include more infrastructure funding and educational resources for their communities.

Gull-Masty assured chiefs her government is committed to reforming the First Nations child welfare system and ensuring First Nations children get the supports they need, when they need them.

Carney spoke with chiefs on Tuesday and attempted to quell their concerns about the pipeline agreement he signed with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

Chiefs unanimously passed a resolution calling for that agreement to be rescinded, and to push the federal government to uphold its tanker ban on the northern B.C. coast.

During a meeting with Carney on Wednesday, chiefs from Treaties 6, 7 and 8 expressed openness to pipeline ownership.

Chiefs in Alberta do not have a regional representative at the Assembly of First Nations.

By Alessia Passafiume

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2025.