A history-making meeting has kicked off the 2019 meeting of Canada’s premiers in Saskatoon, where again pipelines and energy projects will be a topic of discussion.
At the Big River First Nation in northern Saskatchewan, the hosts provided a traditional welcome for a meeting that was anything but.
It marked the first time provincial and territorial leaders gathered on a First Nations reserve to talk with Indigenous leaders.
"There's hope here that things are going to improve as we go along," said Bruce Morin, Chief of the Big River First Nation. He also noted many of the issues faced by communities like his are similar.
New numbers point to significant room for improvement as it’s estimated almost half of all kids on reserve, live in poverty.
Today, the leaders spoke specifically about how to improve child and family services.
Perry Bellegarde, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, pointed out more than 40,000 Indigenous children are in foster care across the country.
He says that number needs to change and key to that, is making sure Aboriginal leaders are at the table where decisions are made.
"According to the United Nations Human Development Index, Canada’s rated twelfth in terms of quality of life but for First Nations people, we’re 72," Bellegarde noted at an end-of-day press conference.
The AFN also ended a boycott by attending the meeting today. In 2016, the boycott was started to protest that leaders weren’t invited to all the meetings.
Bellegarde said he came because the meeting was historic and had the potential to improve life for kids.
Bellegarde impressed the need for more consultation with indigenous people on all topics. He also noted the buzz that some First Nations will make a bid for the Trans Mountain pipeline.
"We’re all too dependent on fossil fuels, we know that. But you can't turn the tap off tomorrow morning; we're all going to be flying home in airplanes and helicopters and driving cars. You need to balance the environment and the economy," Bellegarde said.
B.C. Premier John Horgan may find himself in an awkward spot.
Not only are most of the leaders are right of centre – but also in support of the pipeline project that he says is not in the interest of British Columbians.
"John Horgan’s NDP government supported by the Greens continues to support the federal carbon tax," said Mount Royal University’s Duane Bratt.
He said while many premiers may have much in common "provincial interests will lead to division."
Both topics are sure to come up Wednesday in Saskatoon when it will be just provincial and territorial leaders in discussion.
For the first time in more than a decade – they will all be men.
