OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was optimistic about finding consensus on the Liberals' major projects law as he met with hundreds of First Nations chiefs on Thursday, but by mid-afternoon some leaders had walked out of the summit, decrying what they saw as an insufficient response to the concerns they've been raising for weeks.
By the end of the meeting, some chiefs said they're "cautiously optimistic," while others remain worried about potential cuts to federal funding for Indigenous-facing departments they say will leave their communities worse off and in a weakened position to move projects forward.
Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Grand Chief Cody Diabo told The Canadian Press he took the microphone to express his frustration before leaving the meeting prior to its scheduled end, saying chiefs expected to have time to engage with the prime minister and cabinet ministers but instead were asked to talk to one another.
"I don't even know what this is, but this is not engagement. This is definitely not consultation. I'm speechless," he said after leaving the meeting.Â
Diabo said it seemed like the government was trying to gather people who support its plan, and called the meeting "a facade." Other leaders criticized the speaking list of the event, saying the government hand-selected pro-development communities to quell the concerns of their peers while excluding those who have historically been more skeptical.
Carney clarified his interpretation of Thursday meetings in his closing statement, recorded by a chief participating in the summit who provided to The Canadian Press.
"This was never a consultation. This was not a consultation today. This is engagement," he said.
Carney went on to say that once consultations start on specific projects, the repeated process will result in shared prosperity and a gradual rebuilding of trust between the government and First Nations.
Carney told chiefs in the room that he hoped to have the federal Major Projects Office, which will lead work on streamlining developments, and its associated Indigenous Advisory Council set up by Labour Day.
Chiefs have been raising concerns about the independence of that body, and have said they want a say in who is appointed. They're also worried the government will use advice provided from that body as consulting with rights-holders while bypassing direct engagement with affected communities.
The high-stakes meeting was an opportunity for Carney to directly address concerns from chiefs, and he told reporters before it kicked off he was planning to spend the say listening to First Nations leaders' concerns about the Building Canada Act, which allows the government to fast track major projects that it deems to be in the national interest.
"I will say a few words at the start and answer questions at the end but I'm here to listen, engage and move forward from that," Carney said shortly before he was greeted with cheers as he took the stage in front of chiefs at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que.
"The economic value of these projects will be shared with First Nations as partners; it will help build the prosperity of your communities for generations to come," Carney said as he began the meeting.
After his brief remarks, media were escorted out of the room and barred from hearing Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak address the hundreds of chiefs gathered.
The AFN advocated for the entire meeting to be made public, and Woodhouse Nepinak later apologized for having to hold a press conference outside of the museum.
"You should have been in there, and you should have been able to hear my speech," she said — a sentiment she repeated later in the day to a group of youth who travelled to Ottawa to protest the new law.
The closed-door meeting was promised in June after chiefs said their rights were not respected by the government pushing the legislation through Parliament. The law was passed, with support from the Conservatives, less than a month after it was introduced.
It allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects that are deemed to be in the national interest, including by sidestepping existing laws.Â
Former national chief Ovide Mercredi addressed Carney directly in the meeting, saying Carney is asking for First Nations to have faith in the government and the legislation, despite it causing fear among leaders.
"There's always a limit to our conversations in forums like this. But if you come to our territory, we will honour you. We will treat you with the respect you deserve as the head of this country," Mercredi said in the recording shared with The Canadian Press.
"But at the same time, we would expect you to honour our people and our leaders likewise," he continued before receiving a standing ovation.
Sheila North, the former grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak and proxy for Bunibonibee Cree Nation, said she was disheartened by the moderators trying to limit Mercredi's speaking time.
"Ovide Mercredi is one of the First Nations most respected and sought-after knowledge keepers in our country," North said in a statement to The Canadian Press.
"Prime Minister Mark Carney and his government would signal to many of us that they are serious about building relationships if they followed Ovide's advice."
Trevor Mercredi, Grand Chief at Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta, said Carney has a "big job to do," and that he put himself in the position he is currently in.
"The chiefs came here with very heavy concern," Mercredi said, referencing the legislation and the seemingly rushed nature the meeting was put together in, with last-minute agenda changes and invites commonplace.
"We came out here to assert our rights. We didn't come out here to ask questions. We didn't come out here to put our hands out. We simply came here to assert our rights and make sure that each and every person understands what they're in for if they're coming for our resources."
Chief Jeff Copenace of Ojibways of Onigaming said what First Nations really need is investments in their infrastructure.
"If Canada wants to build, we want to build too," said Copenace, a chief who has seen at least one funeral in his community per month since taking on the job, with residents living under a state of emergency.
"We want to build youth infrastructure. We want to build youth crisis centres. We want to build youth rec centres … That's the type of projects that the youth are looking for, not necessarily the types of major projects that they're discussing here."
Earlier in the day, Carney told reporters that Thursday's meeting is the first step in a process.Â
"As we're building our nation, we're building all nations, building together, building in partnership," he said.Â
He stressed that the law is enabling legislation and the government has not yet identified the national-interest projects it intends to fast track. Chiefs said no specific projects were mentioned during the meeting.
"Which ones do First Nations, do provinces, do the people of Canada want to move forward on? That takes work," Carney said.Â
When asked if he thinks the government can get consensus from First Nations leaders about how to move forward, Carney said: "Yes I do."
That consensus wasn't reached by the end of Thursday, but Carney vowed to leadership to continue the dialogue.
Carney pledged to launch a regional dialogue with First Nations and further consultation processes going forward, with one such meeting already in talks with chiefs from Treaty 5 territory.
The government plans to hold similar meetings with Inuit and Métis leadership.
— with files from Sarah Ritchie and Craig Lord
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2025.
Note to readers:This is a corrected story. An earlier version said the meeting with Inuit leaders was in Nunavut.