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Toronto Star
a day ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
First Nations youth say they're ‘starting a movement' against major projects bills
OTTAWA - First Nations youth leaders are warning Canadians can expect a long, tense summer of protests as governments push forward with plans to fast-track major projects — and young people will be leading the charge. 'You will see us in your cities, your city's hubs,' said Ramon Kataquapit, a youth councillor with the Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation and a member of Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
First Nations youth say they're ‘starting a movement' against major projects bills
Ramon Kataquapit, youth councillor for Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation, sings before speaking at a news conference on C-5 in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA — First Nations youth leaders are warning Canadians can expect a long, tense summer of protests as governments push forward with plans to fast-track major projects — and young people will be leading the charge. 'You will see us in your cities, your city's hubs,' said Ramon Kataquapit, a youth councillor with the Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation and a member of Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario. The federal Liberal government's Bill C-5, which passed through the House of Commons Friday night, allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines. It sailed through a Commons committee in the early hours of Thursday with support from the Conservatives. And in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford's Conservatives have passed legislation allowing his government to designate 'special economic zones' where the provincial cabinet can exempt companies or projects from having to comply with any provincial law, provincial regulation or municipal bylaw. Both pieces of legislation have met with fierce resistance from First Nations leaders who accuse Ottawa and Queen's Park of trampling on their rights and failing to consult with them in good faith. Kataquapit said First Nations youth are 'starting a movement' to protect their cultures and lands from what they see as increasing encroachment by governments looking to build major projects in a hurry. He compared both pieces of legislation to a rock falling off a mountain. 'You don't know how much momentum it's going to build,' he said. 'It might cause a mudslide and turn into something like an avalanche. 'This can turn into something much bigger, and a lot of our people — a lot of the youth — we see that.' While chiefs have been the most prominent First Nations voices in news coverage of the legislation, Kataquapit said young people were the driving force behind recent rallies against the fast-track bills in northern Ontario, at Queen's Park and on Parliament Hill. He said they draw inspiration from the Anishinaabe Seven Fires Prophecy, which speaks of a 'seventh fire' generation that will bring back traditional knowledge and ways of living after a period of cultural dislocation. 'We were raised to be the seventh generation,' Kataquapit said. 'What I've been taught was that it's my role to wake people up and to really show just how much colonization has affected us, but (also) how much strength we have in our traditional identity, culture … 'The seven fires are ready to take the steps that our leadership are falling back on because they fought a good fight for their entire lives. It's just nature that you grow tired, scarred, traumatized.' Terra Roy, another youth councillor with Chiefs of Ontario, said First Nations youth can do more than just protest — they can engage with the land and with traditional knowledge as an act of resistance. 'We have young people in Attawapiskat taking the rivers,' Roy said. 'I'm happy that we're returning to the land and continuing to occupy it.' Roy, who works as a liaison between Beausoleil First Nation and the private sector, spoke to The Canadian Press while attending a project management training session in Edmonton. Roy said the federal and provincial legislation makes their own work seem almost futile. 'I was like, 'Well, what the heck did I just get hired for then if (governments are) just going to bulldoze over everything I say?'' Roy said. 'I'm here trying to create a whole department for my community so that we can have a greater say in our treaty area and then (governments) are like, 'Oh, just kidding.' 'I'm angry. I'm frustrated, heartbroken, annoyed.' Much of that frustration comes from a sense of déjà vu. First Nations say they've been in this position before, when legislation introduced by the Stephen Harper government to allow governments and businesses to push through projects without strict environmental assessment triggered the countrywide protest movement known as Idle No More. Roy vividly remembers sitting with their mother as a child as they took part in an Idle No More protest at a mall. 'It's frustrating that at 11 years old I was doing that, and now again at 23,' Roy said. 'If I'm tired of having to fight this again, I can only imagine how my grandmother feels.' Hanna Sewell, a nurse and a member of Batchewana First Nation near Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., said young people have to lead this fight because they're the ones who will have to live with the impacts of accelerated development. 'If the land is sick, we're going to be sick as well,' she said. 'We don't want this bill, and we are the future generations that are going to govern this land and save it.' Pierre Debassige, a member of M'Chigeeng First Nation and youth councillor for Anishinabek Nation, said First Nations won't be the only ones to experience those impacts. 'If they start development in the Ring of Fire in the Far North, all those lakes, rivers all come down to the Great Lakes,' he said. 'If there's that contamination that comes down from the North, it's going to affect not only their communities, but here in southern Ontario.' Debassige said it's his generation's turn to step up. 'United we stand and we conquer, but divided we fall one by one,' he said. 'I'm always thinking of that seven generations behind me (and) what my great-great-great-great grandchildren are going to be doing. Maybe they'll see the work that I've done as a young person, (that I) fought for all of this.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2025. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
First Nations youth say they're ‘starting a movement' against major projects bills
OTTAWA – First Nations youth leaders are warning Canadians can expect a long, tense summer of protests as governments push forward with plans to fast-track major projects — and young people will be leading the charge. 'You will see us in your cities, your city's hubs,' said Ramon Kataquapit, a youth councillor with the Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation and a member of Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario. The federal Liberal government's Bill C-5, which passed through the House of Commons Friday night, allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines. It sailed through a Commons committee in the early hours of Thursday with support from the Conservatives. And in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford's Conservatives have passed legislation allowing his government to designate 'special economic zones' where the provincial cabinet can exempt companies or projects from having to comply with any provincial law, provincial regulation or municipal bylaw. Both pieces of legislation have met with fierce resistance from First Nations leaders who accuse Ottawa and Queen's Park of trampling on their rights and failing to consult with them in good faith. Kataquapit said First Nations youth are 'starting a movement' to protect their cultures and lands from what they see as increasing encroachment by governments looking to build major projects in a hurry. He compared both pieces of legislation to a rock falling off a mountain. 'You don't know how much momentum it's going to build,' he said. 'It might cause a mudslide and turn into something like an avalanche. 'This can turn into something much bigger, and a lot of our people — a lot of the youth — we see that.' While chiefs have been the most prominent First Nations voices in news coverage of the legislation, Kataquapit said young people were the driving force behind recent rallies against the fast-track bills in northern Ontario, at Queen's Park and on Parliament Hill. He said they draw inspiration from the Anishinaabe Seven Fires Prophecy, which speaks of a 'seventh fire' generation that will bring back traditional knowledge and ways of living after a period of cultural dislocation. 'We were raised to be the seventh generation,' Kataquapit said. 'What I've been taught was that it's my role to wake people up and to really show just how much colonization has affected us, but (also) how much strength we have in our traditional identity, culture … 'The seven fires are ready to take the steps that our leadership are falling back on because they fought a good fight for their entire lives. It's just nature that you grow tired, scarred, traumatized.' Terra Roy, another youth councillor with Chiefs of Ontario, said First Nations youth can do more than just protest — they can engage with the land and with traditional knowledge as an act of resistance. 'We have young people in Attawapiskat taking the rivers,' Roy said. 'I'm happy that we're returning to the land and continuing to occupy it.' Roy, who works as a liaison between Beausoleil First Nation and the private sector, spoke to The Canadian Press while attending a project management training session in Edmonton. Roy said the federal and provincial legislation makes their own work seem almost futile. 'I was like, 'Well, what the heck did I just get hired for then if (governments are) just going to bulldoze over everything I say?'' Roy said. 'I'm here trying to create a whole department for my community so that we can have a greater say in our treaty area and then (governments) are like, 'Oh, just kidding.' 'I'm angry. I'm frustrated, heartbroken, annoyed.' Much of that frustration comes from a sense of déjà vu. First Nations say they've been in this position before, when legislation introduced by the Stephen Harper government to allow governments and businesses to push through projects without strict environmental assessment triggered the countrywide protest movement known as Idle No More. Roy vividly remembers sitting with their mother as a child as they took part in an Idle No More protest at a mall. 'It's frustrating that at 11 years old I was doing that, and now again at 23,' Roy said. 'If I'm tired of having to fight this again, I can only imagine how my grandmother feels.' Hanna Sewell, a nurse and a member of Batchewana First Nation near Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., said young people have to lead this fight because they're the ones who will have to live with the impacts of accelerated development. 'If the land is sick, we're going to be sick as well,' she said. 'We don't want this bill, and we are the future generations that are going to govern this land and save it.' Pierre Debassige, a member of M'Chigeeng First Nation and youth councillor for Anishinabek Nation, said First Nations won't be the only ones to experience those impacts. 'If they start development in the Ring of Fire in the Far North, all those lakes, rivers all come down to the Great Lakes,' he said. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. 'If there's that contamination that comes down from the North, it's going to affect not only their communities, but here in southern Ontario.' Debassige said it's his generation's turn to step up. 'United we stand and we conquer, but divided we fall one by one,' he said. 'I'm always thinking of that seven generations behind me (and) what my great-great-great-great grandchildren are going to be doing. Maybe they'll see the work that I've done as a young person, (that I) fought for all of this.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2025.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Federal power to sidestep Indian Act removed from major projects bill
Raymond Kataquapit, youth councillor for Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation, sings before speaking at a news conference on C-5 in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA — After weeks of criticism from First Nations leaders, the federal government has amended its major projects bill to withdraw the power it gave cabinet to sidestep the Indian Act. The Liberal government's controversial legislation, which would allow cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines, sailed through committee in the early hours of Thursday. Amendments to the bill made in committee include the removal of the Indian Act from a list of laws the government can sidestep when determining whether a project should move forward. The change comes after First Nations leaders warned the bill could violate their constitutionally protected rights. First Nations leaders also said Ottawa could face legal challenges, and its fast-tracked projects could be slowed down, if Indigenous communities are not meaningfully consulted. The legislation, which has support from the opposition Conservatives, is expected to pass tomorrow. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025 Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
CBC
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
First Nations urge Governor General to delay — or even reject — Bill C-5
Social Sharing The Assembly of First Nations national chief is among a chorus of First Nations leaders urging Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to intervene in the federal government's major projects legislation being "rammed through" Parliament. "First Nations are united," said National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. "They want prosperity, but they don't want it at the expense of our rights." Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, will likely pass in the House of Commons on Friday with support from the Conservatives. Some First Nations leaders say that shouldn't happen until Simon, the first Indigenous person appointed to the role, addresses their concerns. "She is the Crown representative and I think she should be involved," said Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, who represents 49 First Nations in northern Ontario. "I'm hoping she's paying attention to what's happening here so that she can think about intervening." WATCH | 'It's her responsibility to hear us': Grand chief wants Governor General to 'think about intervening' in Bill C-5's passage 2 hours ago Duration 0:38 The federal government says Bill C-5 will strengthen Canada's economy, as the country fights a trade war and tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The first part of the legislation aims to eliminate all remaining federal barriers to domestic free trade, which is something Prime Minister Mark Carney promised by Canada Day. The second would grant sweeping powers to the government to speed up approvals for infrastructure and energy projects deemed in the national interest. 'Not a good way to start' Woodhouse Nepinak said some First Nations fear the bill will allow the government to trample treaty rights and override environmental assessments. C-5 says the government must consult Indigenous people whose rights may be adversely affected by a fast-tracked project. But it also allows cabinet to overrule any act of Parliament for certain major projects. The AFN national chief is calling for Simon to step in, and for the bill to be split so First Nations can have more time to review the major projects section. "Things are being rammed through and that's not a good way to start a new government, a new relationship," she said. The Governor General's office told CBC News that since C-5 is still moving through Parliament, it is not yet under consideration for royal assent. "All questions on legislation in development should be directed to government," said Rideau Hall spokesperson Marilyne Guèvremont. The bill was moving through the House of Commons committee stage on Wednesday. "Proponents who don't engage with Indigenous people before bringing their projects forward for consideration under this legislation will be given a lower evaluation," Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty told the House transport, infrastructure and communities committee. "We'll be looking for projects that have Indigenous support and, even better, Indigenous equity." Sol Mamakwa, NDP MPP for Kiiwetinoong in northwestern Ontario, said First Nations have heard promises before — only to see them broken. He wants Simon to refuse giving the legislation royal assent. "[Governments] think it's their land. But it's our land," said Mamakwa, member of Kingfisher Lake First Nation. "We're supposed to share the benefits." Avoiding a constitutional crisis Eric Adams, professor of law at the University of Alberta, said Simon can't intervene in legislation without triggering a constitutional crisis. But Adams said she can listen to First Nations' concerns. "She can be a conduit for conversations," he said. "She can sometimes give some quiet advice to the prime minister behind closed doors." He said that advice must be delivered without "looking like she's taking particular sides or that she's acting inappropriately in a political manner." WATCH | Can C-5 bring economic reconciliation?: What First Nations want to see before major projects bill proceeds 2 hours ago Duration 1:09 "But her office is not meant to be a turret in a castle high on the hill," Adams said. "She's meant to be available for Canadians to meet with and to consult. So she has to walk that line carefully." He said the courts are a more appropriate venue to contest C-5. "The Governor General is not the place," Adams said. Major projects bill is about 'enhancing economic opportunity': Kody Blois | Power & Politics 10 hours ago Duration 9:27 Parliamentary secretary to the prime minister Kody Blois tells Power & Politics Bill C-5, the major projects legislation the government wants to fast-track through the House of Commons by Friday, is 'not about short cuts,' will uphold Indigenous rights and will enhance 'economic opportunity for all Canadians.' The bill also contains provisions to remove domestic trade barriers. Ontario First Nations chiefs organized a demonstration on Parliament Hill Tuesday against the proposed legislation. Scott McLeod, Lake Huron regional chief of the Anishinabek Nation, is vowing more action. "I think what we're going to see from today on is a grassroots movement that they can't ignore," said McLeod. "First Nations have the ability to shut down the economy.… we're going to fight." When asked if the resistance to Bill C-5 could turn into a movement like Idle No More in 2012 — which triggered countrywide protests including road and rail blockades — McLeod said: "I believe it already is."
