A Meeting on the Margins
Indigenous leaders who met with provincial and territorial premiers this week on the sidelines of the Council of the Federation summit in Prince Edward Island say the conversation was constructive, but the format itself remains a sticking point.
The Council of the Federation brings together Canada's 13 premiers annually to coordinate on shared priorities, from healthcare funding to trade. In recent years, national Indigenous organizations have pushed for a standing role in these gatherings rather than a side conversation squeezed in around the main agenda.
What Leaders Are Saying
According to Indigenous leaders who took part, this year's discussion touched on issues ranging from economic development to jurisdictional gaps that leave Indigenous communities caught between federal and provincial responsibility. Several described the tone of the meeting as positive and said premiers appeared genuinely engaged.
But the underlying complaint hasn't gone away: who gets invited, and how much time and weight their participation actually carries once they're in the room. Leaders say being consulted "on the margins" of the main summit, rather than as full participants in it, still signals that Indigenous priorities are treated as an add-on rather than a core part of the premiers' agenda.
Why the Format Matters
The distinction between a formal seat at the table and an adjacent meeting isn't just symbolic. Decisions made at the Council of the Federation shape provincial positions on everything from resource development to social services — areas where Indigenous communities are directly affected but don't always have a formal mechanism to weigh in before positions are finalized.
This tension has been a recurring theme at Council of the Federation gatherings for years, with Indigenous organizations periodically renewing calls for permanent, structured inclusion rather than year-to-year invitations that can vary based on which premier is hosting.
What Comes Next
No firm commitments on restructuring future summits were announced following this year's meeting. Indigenous leaders indicated they plan to keep pushing for clearer, more consistent participation at future Council of the Federation events, wherever they're held next.
For now, the PEI meeting stands as another incremental step — leaders leaving with cautious optimism about the tone of the conversation, but the same unresolved question about structure still on the table for next year.
Source: CBC News
