Living into Right Relations

[Image credit: Canva]
 

For the first time in 21 years, First Nations leaders met with the Prime Minister, most of the premiers, and representatives of other provinces for two days in October to focus entirely on Indigenous issues. The meeting occurred at a time when many are watching the progress of the building Canada Strong Act, Bill C-39, with great concern. The bill is designed to accelerate major infrastructure and resource project reviews. Its proposed changes to approval processes carry significant risks that Indigenous communities will not be accorded their rights to consultation and free, prior and informed consent of developments in their territories. Environmental safeguards, long in place in Canada, also will be weakened if the legislation passes in its current form. Chiefs in some parts of the country have called for the bill to be rescinded.

It must be noted that the First Nations-First Ministers meeting had a broader agenda, and it concluded with a promise from the federal government to organize a similar meeting in two years time. At all times, the United Church would underline the importance of paying attention to what Indigenous communities are saying with respect to their own priorities, along with their responses to legislative proposals such as Bill C-39.

One worthwhile read is the position paper released by the Assembly of First Nations in advance of the Ottawa meeting. It discusses the following four recommendations to both federal and provincial governments:

1. [That] First Ministers commit to establishing a permanent First Nations – Federal/Provincial/Territorial political and officials process to design and implement an economic framework to advance recommendations 2-4 [below], with progress reported at the next First Ministers Meeting.
2. First Ministers commit to jointly develop a First Nations National Benefits Sharing Framework that protects free prior and informed consent, preserves Nation specific benefits, and supports First Nations ownership.
3. First Ministers commit to jointly develop a new First Nations controlled sovereign wealth fund.
4. First Ministers recognize closing the First Nations infrastructure gap as a nation building priority.

[Image credit: Mountainview Recreation Society]
 

More than 45 people from several United Churches in Alberta gathered in Marlboro over three days in October 2026 to learn about traditional Indigenous food culture with a focus on berry harvesting, preparation, preservation and jam-making, along with Canadian Health and Safety canning guidelines. The project, supported in part by the Justice and Reconciliation Fund, was grounded in the understanding that traditional Indigenous foods, like native berries, carry knowledge, memory, culture, and relationships to the land.

Organized by the Mountainview Recreation Society, the event created many opportunities for conversation and knowledge sharing between generations and between Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants. The youngest participant was 9 and the oldest was in their 90s. Together they learned how traditional food practices can be adapted into contemporary community food-security activities, grounded in Indigenous wisdom about sharing, reciprocity, and relationship.The final day concluded with a community feast. Over 200 jars of jam were given away.