Manitoba’s mineral ambitions must begin with Treaty rights, not simply faster development
September 16, 2026
Treaty One Territory, Manitoba
Jesse Nobess
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 16, 2026
Manitoba’s mineral ambitions must begin with Treaty rights, not simply faster development
Treaty 1 MB (September 15, 2026) — The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs recognizes the significant economic ambitions outlined by Premier Wab Kinew this week as Manitoba positions itself to dramatically increase mineral production and expand the Port of Churchill as a northern trade gateway. The Province has announced a goal of tripling critical mineral production over the next five years, alongside measures intended to accelerate exploration, environmental licensing, approvals and access to hydroelectricity.
Grand Chief Kyra Wilson says the scale of Manitoba’s ambition requires an equally ambitious conversation about the Treaty relationship.
“First Nations are not asking Manitoba simply to find a better way to include us in its economic plans. We are asking Manitoba to recognize that there is a Treaty relationship that must shape those plans from the beginning,” said Grand Chief Wilson.
“Manitoba can create corporations, develop new regulatory pathways and attract billions of dollars in investment. None of those things, by themselves, determine the rights, authority or economic interests of the First Nations whose territories and Treaty relationships are implicated.”
The Province has pointed to the Manitoba Crown Indigenous Corporation as a mechanism through which First Nations and the Crown can work together on major economic projects. AMC recognizes that First Nations have differing views about the proposed corporation and believes those perspectives must be respected. The Assembly has previously raised fundamental questions concerning decision-making, jurisdiction, revenue sharing, sovereignty and the role of First Nations within the proposed structure.
“For AMC, the question is not whether a Crown corporation exists. The question is whether the economic relationship being built respects the authority of First Nations,” said Grand Chief Wilson.
“A provincial structure cannot become a substitute for Treaty relationships. Nor should participation in a provincial corporation be treated as consent to the development of projects, corridors or policies affecting First Nations territories.”
AMC believes Manitoba’s mineral strategy presents an opportunity to move beyond the historic model in which resources are extracted from First Nations territories while decisions about wealth, infrastructure and economic development remain concentrated elsewhere.
If Manitoba intends to triple mineral production, AMC believes the same ambition should be applied to First Nations ownership, investment, infrastructure, procurement, revenue generation and economic decision-making.
This includes opportunities to build First Nations participation across the full value chain — from exploration and mining to processing, transportation, energy, logistics, international trade and infrastructure.
“The old question was, ‘How do we get First Nations to participate in development?’” said Grand Chief Wilson.
“We should be asking a different question now: How do we build an economy in which First Nations are owners, decision-makers and beneficiaries of the wealth generated from our territories?” The distinction matters.
First Nations have inherent and Treaty rights that do not originate from a provincial corporation, a regulatory process or an economic development agreement. Those rights must remain the foundation for discussions about major projects and resource development.
AMC also sees the Port of Churchill and northern trade infrastructure as an opportunity to build a broader First Nations economic corridor — one that does not simply move Manitoba’s resources to international markets but creates enduring economic capacity for the First Nations and northern communities connected to that corridor.
“Churchill should not only be a gateway for Manitoba’s resources. It can be a gateway to a different economic future for First Nations,” said Grand Chief Wilson.
“That means thinking beyond the shipment of commodities. It means asking who owns the infrastructure, who controls the economic opportunities, who builds the businesses, who captures the value and what our Nations leave to the generations that follow.”
AMC will continue to advance a Treaty-based economic vision in which First Nations are recognized as Nations with their own authorities, economies and responsibilities to their territories.
“We welcome serious discussion about Manitoba’s economic future,” said Grand Chief Wilson. “But if we are going to build something on this scale, let us not simply make development faster. Let us make the economic relationship different.”
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.