Indigenous groups oppose Canada's Building Canada Strong Act

Indigenous organizations and First Nations leaders are expressing significant opposition to Bill C-39, known as the Building Canada Strong Act. The proposed legislation aims to accelerate infrastructure and industrial projects by implementing a one-year approval process and granting ministers the power to deem certain projects to be in the national interest.

Onion Lake Cree Nation has called for the withdrawal of the bill, arguing it could bypass adequate consultation with Treaty Nations and undermine Indigenous jurisdiction and constitutional rights. Leaders within the Nation emphasized that any reform or repeal of the 150-year-old Indian Act must be led by First Nations to ensure self-determination and protect existing rights regarding reserve lands and tax exemptions.

In response to concerns from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty stated that the legislation will not change Inuit rights or modern treaties. Alty noted that in northern territories like Nunavut, project reviews are already managed through co-management systems designed with Indigenous partners. However, several First Nations organizations maintain that the law threatens to sideline essential consultation processes.