Mushkegowuk Council Grand Chief Leo Friday sent the following letter to Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie, Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford, Green leader Mike Schreiner and NDP leader Marit Stiles.
We recognize the urgency of Canada’s response to U.S. tariffs, including critical minerals and, particularly, the Ring of Fire. However, First Nations must not be excluded from this process. Ontario cannot achieve its goals without working directly with the Mushkegowuk Nations.
If elected, it is essential for your government to engage with the Mushkegowuk Nations to ensure the protection of significant areas within Omushkegowuk territories. Any proposals for mineral development, including those involving critical minerals, must incorporate comprehensive involvement of the Mushkegowuk Nations, respecting their inherent, Aboriginal and Treaty rights as outlined under section 35 of the Constitution, particularly those affirmed in Treaty 9. These rights are unequivocal and non-negotiable, and we will steadfastly uphold them.
The Ontario and Canadian governments have authorized industrial activities in our territories without obtaining the full consent of the Mushkegowuk Nations, thereby violating Treaty 9 and infringing upon our rights. The Mushkegowuk Council asserts that access to critical minerals within our territories requires the explicit, free, prior and informed consent of the Mushkegowuk Nations. This stance reflects our commitment to exercising our sovereignty, jurisdiction, and decision-making authority. It is not an opposition to development but rather an insistence on taking our rightful place in shaping it.
Our lands are not commodities for extraction — they are the foundation of our identity, culture, and survival. We continually exercise our Aboriginal hunting and fishing rights, using our lands to maintain traditional practices that are fundamental to our core and livelihoods. Without these rights, our very survival is in jeopardy. Omushkegowuk territories include the coastal areas of western Weeneebeg and southwestern Washaybeyoh, the Washaybeyoh lowlands, and the boreal forest — areas vital for biodiversity and home to one of the world’s largest carbon-rich peatlands. We have a sacred duty, under the laws of our Creator, to protect these lands for future generations.
We urge you to commit to a true Nation-to-Nation partnership with Mushkegowuk Nations that respects our rights, lands, and future. We are prepared to engage in good-faith discussions to develop an approach that benefits all Ontarians while upholding our responsibilities to our homelands. Where development is considered within our territories, it must be on the terms of the affected Mushkegowuk First Nation, with clear, direct benefits flowing to our communities. Our Treaty relationship with the Crown must be upheld, ensuring that revenues generated support critical housing, infrastructure, and essential services for our people.
The Mushkegowuk Council will not stand by while our lands are used without meaningful returns to our people. If elected, your government must demonstrate a genuine commitment to working with us in good faith. We will be following up to ensure that engagement leads to concrete action that respects our rights and priorities.
Meegwetch,
Leo Friday
Grand Chief
