Minister says Indigenous advisory council start of major project talks, not end

By Canadian Press on September 11, 2025.

OTTAWA — Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty says the newly appointed Indigenous advisory council marks the start — not the end — of talks with community leaders on how to move the government’s major projects agenda forward.

On Wednesday, 11 Indigenous leaders from across the country were named to the federal government’s new Indigenous Peoples’ Council and tasked with advising the new federal body working to fast-track major infrastructure projects.

While First Nations, Inuit and Métis representatives were selected, some Indigenous groups, including the Southern Chiefs Association in Manitoba, raised concerns about the makeup of the council and the lack of representation from their nations.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew similarly raised concern about the lack of First Nations representation from Manitoba on the council, saying it’s a “missed opportunity” to only have a representative from the Manitoba Métis Federation representing the province.

Gull-Masty says the goal of the advisory council wasn’t to represent every nation, but to gather a variety of people with different backgrounds and perspectives to inform the government on how communities want to move forward with projects.

She says the council is open to hearing from leaders who don’t have a seat at the main table, and that the councillors are looking to develop relationships based on communication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025.

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press