Fight Trump, build the economy — but don’t forget about Indigenous Peoples

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/03/2025 (190 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

So, Mark Carney is Canada’s new gichi-ogimaa, or prime minister.

He’s a fresh face in Canadian politics, an unelected official and “outsider.”

He’s also a banker, economist, former employee of the multinational investment firm Goldman Sachs and the man who served as the eighth governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013, and the 120th governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.

A zhooniya-inini, money guy.

He has promised to focus almost exclusively on building the Canadian economy while protecting it from American imperialism.

“Canada’s new government is focused on the things that matter most to Canadians: growing more higher-paying jobs, improving affordability and making Canada more secure,” Carney announced, moments after being sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister.

Carney’s speech was short and succinct — serious words for a serious time.

So let’s get serious for a moment.

The Canadian economy is primarily built off land and resource “development” — forestry, oil, gas, coal, diamonds. Also electricity from hydro dams and other projects.

Some of the richest deposits of metal ore and critical minerals in the world are found in Canada — like potash and uranium (in Saskatchewan), cobalt (Ontario), copper (B.C.), tungsten (Yukon and Northwest Territories) and lithium (Quebec and Manitoba).

Carney is aware of this. In his speech, he proposed making Canada “a superpower in both conventional and clean energy, by creating new trade corridors with reliable partners, and by forging one Canadian economy out of 13.”

What Carney may or may not be aware of is that all of these resources exist on lands claimed by Indigenous nations.

This means Indigenous Peoples — according to Canada’s constitution and laws — are at the centre of Canada’s economy.

A more accurate phrase for Carney might have been: “… forging a Canadian economy out of 13 territories and provinces and over a thousand Indigenous nations.”

But he didn’t say that.

In fact, Carney’s absence of commentary on Indigenous anything on the campaign trail, during Liberal leader debates, and when his cabinet was sworn in, is odd.

As APTN’s Karyn Pugliese recently wrote: “Carney has been silent about his approach to Indigenous Peoples for most of the leadership race. His team has also declined a one-on-one interview request with APTN News and was the only leader to turn down an opportunity to answer six written questions by the network to him by email.”

Now, to be fair, Carney did briefly recognize Indigenous nations as one of Canada’s three founding nations in his inaugural address. But the lack of Carney’s centrality on building relationships with Indigenous Peoples — particularly following the progressive agenda of Justin Trudeau — is striking.

Carney did keep some consistency in his cabinet on Indigenous issues with Patty Hajdu remaining Indigenous services minister and Gary Anandasangaree continuing his role as Crown-Indigenous Relations minister. Anandasangaree’s portfolio now includes justice and attorney general as well as northern affairs, leading one to wonder how thin he will be spread.

There is no Indigenous faces in cabinet for the first time in 10 years — even as former Liberal leadership candidate and Mi’kmaw MP Jaime Battiste endorsed Carney. Marc Miller, a strong voice for Indigenous rights, did not make the cut.

Carney may have grown up in the Northwest Territories and Alberta but left Canada for schooling before he was 20 and has had little-to-no formal engagements or relationships with Indigenous nations since. A glance at his resumé suggests he knows far more about hockey than Indigenous rights.

I’ve always said reconciliation isn’t a problem for Indigenous Peoples but for Canadians.

Indigenous Peoples and their leaders, constantly and consistently, are the ones respectfully asking this country for a seat at the table, fair negotiations and treatment, and inclusion in the nation’s economy and agenda.

The problem is Canadians have been taught, constantly and consistently, that Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous rights and Indigenous land claims don’t matter.

For a brief 10 years, Canada had a prime minister who (sort of, anyways) talked a different talk. He and his cabinet passed a few laws that changed a few small — but significant things.

Like him or hate him, Justin Trudeau said: Indigenous Peoples matter.

He even said this during days when Trump was in power.

As Carney takes steps to confront Trump, build Canada’s economy, and run for election, he must not repeat the mistakes of previous prime ministers and governments by leaving Indigenous Peoples behind or, worse, in a bloody mess.

Every cent of Canada’s economy, after all, involves those same Indigenous Peoples.

Canada’s new gichi-ogimaa, while a zhooniya-inini, also needs to be a progressive, inclusive and reconciliatory leader, too.

He might even find Canada’s real superpower.

niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca