AMC Grand Chief Kyra Wilson Calls for First Nations Regional Leaders to Have a Seat at First Ministers’ Meeting
July 21, 2025
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba
AMC Communications
Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, MB – Grand Chief Kyra Wilson of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) has written to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Wab Kinew, urging them to formally include First Nations regional representation at the July 22 First Ministers’ Meeting, where Canada’s response to new U.S. tariffs will be discussed.
The call follows the First Nations Summit on Bill C-5, where leaders from across Manitoba affirmed the importance of regional decision-making, especially when national policies impact First Nations lands, livelihoods, and economies.
“These discussions can’t happen without us. First Nations aren’t just affected by international trade decisions, they are directly involved in the regions, the economies, and the lands these decisions will touch,” said Grand Chief Wilson. “We are governing Nations with existing mandates and responsibilities. Ignoring that weakens the response and risks repeating the same mistakes we’ve seen for decades.”
The AMC’s letter highlights how previous federal trade agreements and resource projects have often moved forward without the involvement of First Nations, leading to serious consequences, environmental degradation, broken trust, and long-term economic setbacks for First Nations communities.
“Inviting regional First Nations leadership isn’t just a symbolic gesture, it’s about getting the right people at the table to speak to the realities in their territories,” Wilson added. “Manitoba’s First Nations bring a depth of knowledge that is critical to understanding how trade policy affects people on the ground, especially in the North and across the border.”
The AMC is calling for a space to be made at the First Ministers’ Meeting for direct participation by First Nations organizations with regional mandates.
“The Prime Minister stated last week that we can write a new chapter in the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations. He also stated that First Nations economic growth is at the center of Bill C-5. So we expect that Canada will follow through on their stated commitments to work with First Nations governments—not around us, and extend an invitation and we would expect the Premier to support that call” said Grand Chief Wilson. “This is a chance to show that cooperative governance is more than talk.”
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For more information, please contact:
Communications Team
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
Email: media@manitobachiefs.com
About The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs:
The AMC was formed in 1988 by the Chiefs in Manitoba to advocate on issues that commonly affect First Nations in Manitoba. AMC is an authorized representative of all 63 First Nations in Manitoba with a total of more than 172,000 First Nations citizens in the province, accounting for approximately 12 percent of the provincial population. AMC represents a diversity of Anishinaabe, Nehetho / Ininew, Anisininew, Denesuline, and Dakota Oyate peoples.