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Good afternoon.

I am happy to be joining you today from the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation, whom we recognize as the past, present, and future caretakers of this land.

It’s so great to be back with you all in person.

Thank you to the Elders, National Chief Archibald, regional chiefs, and all the chiefs in Assembly for having me and members of the government here at your meeting.

I appreciated our conversations last week as well, when I got the chance to sit down with you and hear about the priorities of your regions.

There really is no replacement for being together – for the connections we share when we’re person-to-person.

I hope that the meetings and discussions you have had over the past few days have been productive.

I know that several other ministers have spoken to you about the work the federal government is doing for the First Nations across Turtle Island.

We are all here together today to deliver for people – to build the best possible future for First Nations in Canada, and for the next seven generations.

We are doing a lot of good work together. And tackling big challenges.

Work at this size and scale takes time, especially if we’re going to do it right.

The pervasive and systemic issues generated by our colonial past cannot be overturned overnight.

The full benefits will be felt over the years to come, but only if we don’t let up on our work.

We need to continue to push through – together.

That’s why, since Day 1, it has been our fundamental priority to work with you ‒ to be there, and continue to make investments that address historical wrongs, that create opportunities, and that support self-determination.

This is putting reconciliation into action.

And for the government to do this properly, we need your continued support, wisdom, and direction.

For example, there is work ahead to make sure First Nations communities are as safe and healthy as can be.

I had the honour of visiting James Smith Cree Nation last week to sit down with the grieving families and affected community members.

There, we talked about the need for better, culturally grounded mental health and addictions support for those who need it – when they need it.

And, importantly, we talked about keeping Indigenous communities safe and moving past colonial structures toward community-based safety and wellness projects.

I’m holding those conversations close as we advance this crucial work together.

We also know your communities need further housing investments.

Everyone in Canada deserves a safe and healthy place to raise and support their family.

So, in our spring budget, we announced major investments to support housing on reserve.

This will help build and renovate thousands of homes.

We’re working with Indigenous partners on launching an Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.

And we’re continuing our work with First Nations to co-develop and bring forward new water legislation that serves your needs.

A safe, clean, and healthy environment is important to everyone in Canada.

Many communities have shared teachings with me about your cultural and spiritual connections with nature.

You have fished these oceans long before the arrival of European ships.

You learned to hunt using the traditional knowledge passed down by Elders for generations.

And you have long known about the foods and medicines that the land provides.

Your respect and stewardship of the earth is essential for our collective work to protect the environment, fight climate change, and halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

Just yesterday, I announced that the government is investing $800 million in four major Indigenous-led conservation areas, that will conserve almost a million square kilometres of nature.

This not only protects important plants, animals, and marine life, but also makes sure that we are preserving nature that absorbs and stores carbon.

We cannot protect or manage these conserved areas without the full participation of First Nations.

This investment is a major step forward in protecting nature across the country and will drive progress toward Canada’s ambitious goals of conserving 25 per cent of land and waters by 2025, and 30 per cent of each by 2030.

We’re supporting the vision of the Indigenous communities in this work.

And our work will create jobs.

We’re also working together on some of the tougher, more difficult areas of reconciliation.

Areas where we know the healing journey is still long.

The news out of Winnipeg last week has been heartbreaking: Four Indigenous women missing and likely murdered.

These chilling, and recurring, acts of violence against Indigenous women cannot continue.

The government is committed to transformational change.

We are continuing to work with partners to implement the Federal Pathway, which is our contribution to the National Action Plan to address the ongoing tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

We know there is difficult work ahead as you continue to uncover the painful truth about what happened to your children at residential schools.

This spring, we appointed a special interlocutor, Kimberly Murray, to help us navigate the legal and jurisdictional complexities of this work.

And we will continue to ensure that you have the resources you need to uncover and memorialize burial sites.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge your bravery in hosting the Papal apology visit this summer, as part of Call to Action 58.

I attended the event in Maskwacîs.

I saw, firsthand, how important the moment was for many, including non-Indigenous Canadians, for the recognition and acceptance of the painful truth of what happened to your children, families, and communities as a result of residential schools and ongoing colonial policies.

It bears recognizing that the Pope’s apology would never have happened without the courage, grace, and advocacy of Survivors.

The government remains committed to fully implementing all the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations that are federal responsibilities.

We are working to right past wrongs and injustices, including wrongful surrenders of land.

In June, I went to the Siksika Nation where, after six decades of their advocacy, the government announced a co-developed settlement agreement that will provide significant financial compensation.

The settlement will go toward the Nation’s vision of a strong community, economic development, job creation, and more.

We are moving ahead on implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

This legislation came into force in June of last year.

We will continue to work with you to ensure that the Declaration supports lasting reconciliation, healing, and cooperation between the federal government and First Nations Peoples ‒ and all Indigenous Peoples ‒ across Canada.

We are also stepping up with investments. And collaborating with partners at all levels.

We want to hear from you on how we can meet the needs of First Nations Peoples.

Whatever the challenges are, it’s important that we face them together.

I want to underline how important it is that we continue to find effective and meaningful ways of working together.

You’ve heard me say it before: No relationship is more important to the government than the relationship with Indigenous Peoples.

And we need to make sure that we are using the right tools to manage this relationship.

Six years ago, we announced the creation of the permanent bilateral mechanism.

This doesn’t in any way replace our nation-to-nation treaty relationships; it does offer a forum in which we can discuss shared priorities, develop policies, and monitor our progress.

In the past, we have used it for meaningful progress, including working with First Nations on co-developing the Indigenous Languages Act, which received Royal Assent in 2019.

This is historic legislation that will preserve and strengthen Indigenous languages for generations to come.

Just two weeks ago, the Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories, Michael McLeod, announced a new investment to support Indigenous languages in the North.

This work was possible, in part, because of the permanent bilateral mechanism.

So let’s revitalize this tool.

Let’s use it to make sure we are identifying national, regional, and grassroots priorities.

And to make sure we are delivering on all levels.

Let’s work together on a co-development framework that will allow us to address your needs in all the areas I’ve mentioned, and more – such as financial and economic development.

The permanent bilateral mechanism can be a tool to get this done. And get this done well.

We can also use this mechanism to measure the on-the-ground impacts of our investments and make sure we’re doing things right.

Each community has different needs, and we want to know about them.

Everyone here can be a part of thinking about how we can better use the permanent bilateral mechanism.

And please continue to engage with Cabinet ministers as part of this work.

We can all be your partners in tackling issues specific to your regions.

You’ve heard me say the words “work” and “together” a lot in the last few minutes.

That’s what this is: A working relationship.

Because there is work to do.

We want to get it done as efficiently as possible because we know how pressing the needs are in your communities.

Let’s not let anything get in our way.

When we face setbacks, let’s find new solutions.

First Nations Peoples today ‒ and the next generations ‒ are depending on us to get, and make, this right.

Let’s keep building a solid foundation, built on respect, in our working relationship.

The federal government recognizes that this takes time, effort, and resources.

And we’ll be there with you, every step of the way.

But we cannot do it alone.

This is hard work.

But it’s good work.

Work that reinforces the strength and resilience of First Nations communities.

Work that helps us heal.

Work that builds a better future.

Work done in partnership, that moves us all forward on the path of reconciliation.

Miigwetch.

Nanaskomitinow.

Mashi cho.

Gilakas’la.

Thank you.