Premiers’ fears about resource agreements unfounded: Trudeau

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This article was published 12/04/2023 (879 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused prairie premiers of distorting the words of his justice minister, insisting David Lametti didn’t promise to review natural resource transfer agreements when he spoke to Indigenous chiefs last week.

Lametti told a meeting of Assembly of First Nations he would commit to “looking at” federal-provincial natural resource transfer agreements, after some chiefs called for Ottawa to rescind the law that gives the four western provinces control over resource development.

The comment sparked rebuke from Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who accused Ottawa of trying to strip the provinces of resource rights in a joint statement on Tuesday.

Stefanson described the remarks as “divisive disregard for the Prairie provinces.”

As he promoted his government’s budget at a Winnipeg stop Wednesday, Trudeau set the record straight.

“It is very clear that we’re talking about the importance of the federal government living up to our responsibilities under (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), something that unfortunately the prairie premiers have not taken seriously, and they are instead trying to elevate fears that have absolutely no grounding in truth,” Trudeau said.

Meanwhile, several groups, including the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, praised what they took as Lametti’s commitment to review the law.

At last week’s meeting, Lametti responded to a call to repeal the NRTA by stating: “I, obviously, can’t pronounce on that right now, but I do commit to looking at that.

“It won’t be uncontroversial is the only thing I would say, with a bit of a smile.”

Assembly of First Nations regional chief Cindy Woodhouse said the comment acknowledges issues with the act and its alignment with treaty and international human rights, and that a review is necessary.

“We’ve been waiting a long time to have this discussion in this country. The (Natural Resources Transfer Act) and treaty rights is a conversation that’s been avoided for way too long,” Woodhouse said.

“The Prairie provinces have sparked this discussion by making and taking decisions without First Nations participation and we cannot be afraid to talk about treaty rights.”

Both the AMC and the Southern Chiefs’ Organization characterized Lametti’s comment as expressing an openness to review issues with the agreements and welcomed a discussion.

SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels also denounced the premiers’ joint statement and said they are out of touch.

“(Natural resource transfer agreements) were created in the 1930s by the federal government to purposely exclude First Nations from benefiting from the wealth of our territories, and instead give that control and financial windfall to the provinces,” Daniels said Wednesday. “I am dismayed to see our prairie province treaty partners wanting to continue that colonial trend.

“This is not about federal control over provincial resources, this is about First Nation control of our lands and resources,” Daniels said.

AMC Grand Chief Cathy Merrick said First Nations must be involved in discussions related to the transfer law.

“For the past 93 years, First Nations have asserted that the federal government ignored the perspectives of First Nations that they had not relinquished their natural resource rights when treaties were signed and that the federal government had no authority to transfer these rights to provinces,” Merrick said.

Following the premiers’ rebuke, Lametti clarified that he did not commit to review areas of provincial jurisdiction.

Rather, Lametti said he was listening to concerns raised by the chiefs and that Ottawa wants to co-develop “an action plan with Indigenous partners that will show the path we must take towards aligning federal laws and policies with UNDRIP.”

Woodhouse said it is time for provinces to recognize treaty rights which can no longer be ignored.

“There’s unfinished treaty business,” Woodhouse said. “We have these unfinished discussions that we have to talk about and we have to find a way to co-develop, moving forward. We can’t just take and take from Indian lands and not have those discussions.”

— with files from The Canadian Press and Malak Abas

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca