Foundations of a Shared Future

In this moment self-determination must a Canadian nation-building priority

Photo by Jason Hafso on Unsplash

My first Substack post responded to the U.S.-Canada trade war, reflecting on our national identity and the essential role of Indigenous Peoples in any truly unified Canada.

I reflected on how Canada's ability to absorb external threats, like the economic belligerence of the 47th U.S. President, depends on bringing our country together around a reconciled vision of sovereignty. It must include Indigenous Peoples, not just as rights-holders or stakeholders, but as full partners in Confederation.

That vision cannot be built on promises alone, there needs to be both legislative and fiscal reform. Prime Minister Mark Carney has many challenges ahead, I hope he shares the same understanding as his predecessor expressed, that there is no more important relationship than the Crown-Indigenous one.

Prime Minister Carney has asserted Canada's sovereignty in response to foreign pressure. He now has the opportunity, and responsibility, to make the same commitment to First Nations. Reconciliation cannot continue as a symbolic project, rather it should be a nation-building agenda, establishing real tools of self-determination.

It starts with acknowledging the hard truth that most First Nations are structurally dependent on outdated governance and fiscal relationships designed for Indian Act governments, not First Nations asserting and managing jurisdiction.

There needs to be a pathway to self-determination that is not dependent on surrender, extinguishment, or overly bureaucratic negotiations. We need a process that reflects the diversity of Indigenous governance systems and legal orders. Critically, it must be properly resourced.

There are three key features that the pathway can connect.

1) Assessing the status quo and vision setting
Assess the socio-economic and infrastructure gaps in each First Nation community, measuring not in isolation, but in relation, to neighbouring municipalities and regional districts. At the same time, engage community members in defining their long-term vision for their community.

2) Sustainable fiscal frameworks
First Nations need reliable, own-source revenue streams to build long-term planning, intergenerational equity, and economic sovereignty. This must include a fair share of the value derived from our territorial lands and waters.

3) Resilient administrative capacity
First Nations need stable, properly resourced governing institutions that reflect our laws, culture, and priorities—not tied to short-term program funding or externally imposed priorities. It's time to invest in Indigenous public service institutions—law making, policy development, data systems, and professional networks—that have the capacity to deliver quality services and enforce jurisdiction.

These are not radical asks. Understanding the need and vision of community, providing stable and consistent revenue streams, and investment in resilient governing institutions, is the very foundation of Canadian provincial and municipal governments. It’s time to offer First Nations the same dignity and capacity.

A National Interest in Indigenous Governance

This isn't just a First Nations issue––it is a Canadian one. The unacceptable status quo in First Nations communities is a policy choice. Prime Minister Carney can dismantle the outdated and highly paternalistic machinery of Indian Affairs and replace it with a coherent, accountable pathway to self-determination.

As I wrote previously, reconciliation is not a moral footnote to national unity, it is foundational. In the face of persistent threats to the Canadian economy and sovereignty, the Crowns have been rushing out fast-tracked projects, breaking down interprovincial trade barriers, and asserting Canadian resilience.

But we cannot defend this country while continuing to marginalize First Nations whose rights and relationships with this land are protected by the Constitution. Failing to equitably fund First Nations, and not establishing a coherent pathway for self-determination, creates massive vulnerabilities—legal, political, and social—that external adversaries will be all too happy to exploit.

Prime Minister Carney has tremendous pressure to unify and stabilize our country. The best way to secure those efforts is by also stabilizing relationships with First Nations through recognition and resources.

The Canadian government cannot legitimately claim national unity and strength, while at the same time maintaining a system the ensures First Nations remain dislocated from their territories, and tethered to policies that produce and entrench poverty and dysfunction.

This is a moment. Let it be remembered not just for how Canada responded to foreign pressure, but also how we finally met our responsibility to First Nations. Prime Minister Carney, let this be a moment of transformation for Indigenous-Crown relations.