The same party might be in power, but it's a new era for federal politics in Canada -- particularly when it comes to Canada's relationship with Indigenous peoples. The halls of power no longer echo with speeches in support of Indigenous rights and reconcilliation. Neither do First Nations leaders present headdresses to Liberal politicians, as they did for former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Today, some Grand Chiefs -- like David Chartrand of the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) -- are refusing to attend meetings called by Prime Minister Mark Carney. Meanwhile, the federal government denied entry to a group of First Nations youth from the Ring of Fire -- a mineral-rich zone in Northern Ontario under the eye of mining companies -- at Carney's First Nations summit.

The Omatsu Files

This article is part of The Omatsu Files, a running column written in memory of Rick Omatsu, who was born in 1939 in Vancouver, on the cusp of WWII, which would change his life -- a life that was sadly marked by racism. As a Japanese Canadian, in 1942, Rick was sent to the B.C. interior. After the war, the family was forced by the government to leave the province. The family relocated to Hamilton, Ontario, where Rick remained until his passing at age 82. The Omatsu Files is a space dedicated to the voices of young researchers from equity-deserving backgrounds who are focusing on issues of equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

Since the change in leadership, Canada's First Nations see their rights increasingly undermined by federal and provincial governments under the banner of strengthening the economy amid a U.S. trade war.

Indigenous experts say that the justification was little more than an "excuse."

"Tariff war is just another excuse to run over the rights of Indigenous people," says Kenneth Atsenhaienton Deer, Chief Administrative Officer at the Indigenous World Association. "Canada has to support its independence and self-determination, but it does not have to tread on Indigenous rights to do that."

Wanda Gabriel, a citizen of Kanehsatà:ke, Kanieke'ha:ke Nation, goes further, calling the move "a systemic continuation of a form of genocide."

"It's another way to get rid of us, to eradicate us, to wipe us out. They're moving ahead without informing us, without our consent, without even prior consultation," she adds, referring to the new laws federal and provincial officials claim will improve Canada's economy.

Indigenous rights at risk

One of the most controversial measures is Bill C-5, also called the One Canadian Economy Act, which was passed on June 26. It permits the federal Cabinet to designate projects as being in the "national interest," and allows those projects -- projects such as ports, pipelines, mines, and dams -- to be approved with significantly reduced public input, including Indigenous Peoples' right to be consulted before decisions are made about their lands.

The federal government promotes the act as a boost to Canada's economy. But Amnesty International Canada warns it "sidelines Indigenous rights," while Grand Chief Greg Desjarlais of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations calls it a "bully."

"Once again, Canada is using our lands and resources without any consideration of our Treaty Rights. Canada claims it is responding to pressure from the United States -- the so-called 'bully.' But in doing so, Canada is using that as an excuse to bully our Nations," his statement reads.

The same approach is unfolding at the provincial level, where governments are pushing through laws that give them broad powers to greenlight projects. In Ontario, Doug Ford's Bill 5 lets the provincial cabinet fast-track mines, ports, and pipelines while creating special economic zones that override local rules. 

British Columbia's Bill 15 clears the way for industrial projects like mines and gas developments without full environmental review. Quebec's Bill 97 favours logging companies, and Nova Scotia's Bill 6 lifts bans on uranium mining and fracking.These measures all directly impact Indigenous rights, stripping communities of their say over what happens on their territories. 

Deer explains Indigenous groups' growing opposition by drawing a comparison. For many Indigenous people, he says, Canada treats their lands and resources the same way Donald Trump threatened Canada during the U.S. trade war.

"The threat that Donald Trump poses to Canada, calling it the U.S.' 51st state, threatening to take over its resources, is what we've been feeling for a long time from Canada," he said. 

"They can't trust the treaties they made with the United States, and they worry about their land and resources. That's how we feel about Canada, because they want to take our land and natural resources."

Environmental and economic concerns

Indigenous rights are not the only issue at stake. Experts warn the new laws could fuel political conflict between Indigenous communities and settlers, accelerate environmental damage, and deliver few real economic benefits for the public.

In Ontario, Bill 5 is expected to weaken the Endangered Species Act. In British Columbia, Ecojustice cautions that exempting major resource projects from key environmental assessments means their full impact on wildlife will never be properly reviewed.

The economic promises look equally fragile. A report by the Yellowhead Institute examined the approval of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline in B.C. under the new law and found little evidence of benefits for local communities. Instead, the report warns, the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission and Ksi Lisims LNG project could leave Indigenous nations burdened with debt and long-term financial instability.

Daniel Salée, professor of political science at Concordia University, underlines the risks of this approach. 

"C-5 is problematic because it is saying what is good for the federal government is good for everyone, Indigenous and non-Indigenous," he says. "But it's never been like that, when you look at a systemic inequality that exists in our country and analyze it historically."

A continuing pattern

For Indigenous communities, the fight over land and resources in Canada is an ongoing struggle. Governments change, ties with Washington shift, but the same pattern remains. Canada makes decisions without them, and their rights are sidelined.

In The Trudeau Record: Promise v. Performance, Hayden King traces the federal government's relationship with First Nations since 1948, concluding that reconciliation efforts over the past decade "entrenched a paternalistic approach that merely granted Indigenous communities more pathways into confederation as junior partners."

Salée agrees. Asked whether relations between the federal government and Indigenous peoples have changed after the April federal election, he warns they could have been even worse under another party, adding bluntly: "No, nothing has changed."

At the same time, he notes that some communities could have gains from the new laws if they have "strong leadership and collective desire to fight for their rights." He suggests that unity among Indigenous voices could push federal and provincial governments to take their demands seriously.

Other experts emphasise the government's role in preventing further conflict, recommending that governments must involve Indigenous communities meaningfully from the start of policymaking. 

As Deer puts it, "after they passed the bill, they said Oh, now we want the Indigenous to be partners.' They should be partners in the legislation, not after the bill passes." 

For Salée, the problem goes deeper. Pushing back against these laws, he says, requires "a certain level of radicalness," pointing to Idle No More as an example. He predicts a revival if governments continue to ignore Indigenous voices.

It has already begun in parts of Canada. In Northern Quebec Indigenous communities have been blocking access for forestry sites for more than two months to oppose the forestry bill. In early June 2025, hundreds of First Nations members from Northern Ontario gathered at Toronto's Queen's Park to protest Bill 5. The Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg also held a four-day demonstration that slowed traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway in opposition to the bill.

As Indigenous mobilisation and opposition to these laws rise across the country, Salée's  says "it is not what Indigenous people need to do; it is what Canada needs to do. 

"The key to Indigenous well-being and empowerment is in the hands of the governments, and they have to agree to give much more leeway to Indigenous communities."