AFN chief disputes claims that leaders discussed abolishing Indian Act
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Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said only Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and Prime Minister Mark Carney mentioned abolishing the Indian Act, contrary to their statements.
The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations said the only leaders who raised the idea of abolishing the Indian Act at a recent meeting of federal, provincial and First Nations officials were Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and Prime Minister Mark Carney. Woodhouse Nepinak told reporters that chiefs in the room were primarily focused on legislation concerning major projects that they say threaten their rights, and that discussions about the act “went to the wayside” after Kinew and Carney spoke.
"Not everybody, but other participants raised the desirability. So it’s already starting from the right place in that it’s not the federal government deciding something should be done. It’s responding to a request," Carney said after the meeting.
Carney later clarified that he was “very open to” reforming the Indian Act rather than abolishing it. A spokesperson for Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said Kinew was not the only participant to raise the possibility of changing or removing the act, but declined to provide further details because the meeting was held behind closed doors.
While First Nations leaders broadly agree the Indian Act, enacted in 1876, is outdated, there is no consensus on whether it should be repealed or how it might be replaced. The federal government has not committed to altering the law’s provisions that determine Indian status and reserve governance.
Historical attempts to overhaul the act, such as the 1969 “White Paper” proposed by then-minister Jean Chrétien, were met with strong opposition from Indigenous leaders. Current discussions occur as Carney seeks to accelerate major development projects in partnership with provinces and Indigenous communities, a process that has been affected by previous amendments to the Building Canada Act.