From December 2 to 4, the Assembly of First Nations held its Special Chiefs Assembly on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation at Ottawa’s Rogers Convention Centre, with hybrid participation from across Canada.
A key outcome of the three-day assembly was the unanimous rejection of the federal-Alberta pipeline deal. Chiefs passed an emergency resolution demanding that the government uphold the ban on large oil tankers along northern British Columbia’s coast and reaffirm the right of affected First Nations to decide on pipeline projects in the region.
Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the Chiefs-in-Assembly and responded to questions, while federal ministers from Indigenous Services, Crown-Indigenous Relations, Finance, Public Safety, Housing and Infrastructure, Emergency Management, and Northern Affairs also participated. Timothy Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, joined the BC Region caucus on the final day to address regional concerns.
The assembly included an honouring ceremony for Elijah Harper and multiple plenary sessions focusing on priority issues for First Nations. Topics included Bill S-2 and the second-generation cut-off, reforms to Child and Family Services alongside Jordan’s Principle, and infrastructure financing. Former AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde and Bill Lomax highlighted a major announcement regarding the First Nations Bank of Canada.
In total, 38 resolutions were passed, one resolution was defeated, and one late resolution was added, reflecting the Chiefs’ ongoing commitment to advancing First Nations’ rights, governance, and economic priorities.
