Adding runways, ports and broadband internet access to Canada鈥檚 high north. Writing an Indigenous peoples chapter into the North American Free Trade Agreement. Including Indigenous growers in Canada鈥檚 imminent marijuana legalization plan.
Three Indigenous leaders had the chance to share their biggest concerns with Canada鈥檚 premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday at the First Ministers鈥� Meeting in Ottawa.
Perry Bellegarde, President of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said the leaders were 鈥渃ompletely rushed鈥� by the limited timeframe and need another meeting to tackle the concerns in depth.
Bellegarde鈥檚 concerns centred around the economy and finding ways to invest in young Indigenous workers.
鈥淲e have an aging workforce. But the youngest and fastest growing segment of Canada鈥檚 population is young First Nations men and women. And so invest in human capital 鈥� in education, in skills development and training,鈥� Bellegarde said. 鈥淎nd that will help unlock Canada鈥檚 economic potential.鈥�
On marijuana legalization, Bellegarde accused past governments of leaving Indigenous communities out of supply management, the system that regulates industries such as dairy and egg production.
This time, Bellegarde said First Nations need to have a seat at the table.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 be shut out. So if there鈥檚 licenses for growing medicinal marijuana, we want to be part of that growing industry,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 even challenged them: don鈥檛 issue a license to a CEO of a private company until that show that they鈥檝e got an Indigenous strategy for employment and procurement.鈥�
Bellegarde insisted that each premier make it a priority to regularly meet with chiefs in their respective provinces to hear their concerns. On the federal level, he urged Trudeau鈥檚 government to include concerns about Canada鈥檚 Indigenous communities in ongoing NAFTA negotiations.
鈥淭hey should be supporting that, because things have changed since 1994,鈥� he said.
Natan Obed, President of Canada鈥檚 national Inuit group, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, focused his comments on the social inequity faced by Inuit communities.
Obed cited a $60,000 wage discrepancy between Inuit and non-Inuit people and a 10-year life expectancy gap as major economic barriers.
鈥淪o growing the middle class and the rhetoric that we often hear the Liberals talk about 鈥� we need to create a middle class in many ways. We need to create social equity for our people,鈥� he said.
To do so, Obed said investments need to be made in infrastructure in Canada鈥檚 north.
鈥淚 think that Canada still is an incomplete nation,鈥� he said. 鈥�(In) the Inuit homeland, we still have a long way to go to ensure that all communities have ports, that we have working runways, that we have basic infrastructure that most Canadians take for granted.鈥�
Clement Chartier, President of the Metis National Council, said he used his time to seek a distinctions-based Metis Nations process with the leaders.
鈥淏ecause we have issues that are distinct from First Nations and Inuit. And unless we deal with our issues in a concrete way with these premiers 鈥� then we won鈥檛 be making as much progress as we can,鈥� he said.
Bellegarde said he wasn鈥檛 given a clear answer from the premiers about a future meeting. Regardless, he says he used his time to express the importance of investing in Indigenous communities.
鈥淚f we can close that socioeconomic gap that exists now, it鈥檚 not only good for First Nations people, it鈥檚 good for Canada, because those social costs are going to come down,鈥� he said.
