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Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Windspeaker.com
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak became the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations just over a year ago.
In a phone interview with Windspeaker on Dec. 18, Woodhouse Nepinak spoke about both the successes and challenges she encountered in 2024.
“Like anybody else, there’s ups and downs,” said Woodhouse Nepinak, who was elected as the head of the AFN early last December. “There’s good days. There’s bad days.”
Woodhouse Nepinak took some time to acknowledge others for the role she has served in during the past 12 months.
“It’s been a great honour,” she said. “I continue to be very grateful and humbled by the support of First Nations, from the chiefs and Canadians. It’s something I never want to take for granted.”
Woodhouse Nepinak said she was taken aback by some of the comments in the federal economic statement released on Dec. 16.
The statement did call for $20 billion in new spending. But it also blamed the country’s rising deficit on costs related to Indigenous claims playing out in the courts.
“Certainly, we’re appreciative of the stuff that is in there,” Woodhouse Nepinak said. “But at the same time statements blaming Indigenous peoples for Indigenous claims, blaming that on the budget being so far off, I think that those are unfair statements.
“I don’t think we should blame First Nations peoples for stuff that unfortunately they have to fight through courts for many decades. And I think it’s a learning lesson for Canada to sit at the table of First Nations if they don’t want to continue to go through litigation. You can’t sit there and blame First Nations. We didn’t create this mess. Canada created this mess.”
The federal fall economic statement was delivered the same day that Chrystia Freeland, who was the country’s minister of finance and deputy prime minister, resigned from her posts, citing dissatisfaction with prime minister Justin Trudeau.
Freeland’s resignation has thrown the ruling Liberal party into turmoil, which could result into an early 2025 federal election.
Many believe if a new Conservative government was to be elected, some First Nations issues would not be a priority.
Thus, Woodhouse Nepinak was not too happy to see the uncertainties that were created in federal politics this week.
“You worry about it, you always do because you have unfinished business in the House,” she said. “You kind of look at all this stuff that’s coming through the House of Commons and it does make you feel uneasy.”
For example, Woodhouse Nepinak mentioned Bill C-61, an act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands.
Woodhouse Nepinak wrote an open letter to members of parliament on Dec. 12 asking them to prioritize the advancement of the bill.
“I get it, they have their politics with each other,” she said of politicians representing various parties. “I think that they need to be mindful, that they have a real opportunity here, to make water a priority for First Nations, all political parties. And I encourage them to try and work together through that before they go into their election. Get it through.”
Woodhouse Nepinak is also hoping AFN officials have some input into upcoming discussions between Canada and their American counterparts, necessitated by the recent U.S. election.
“We need to make sure that First Nations play a role in the upcoming Canada/US negotiations because we can’t have a true Canada approach in 2025 without First Nations at the table,” she said. “We’re certainly talking to our counterparts in the U.S. We’ve got brothers and sisters down there. These borders weren’t made by us.”
Woodhouse Nepinak said in the coming year AFN officials will also be pushing to follow through on resolutions chiefs adopted at meetings this year. For example, the need to call for a national inquiry on policing to look into systemic racism on Indigenous people.
“There’s been too many deaths,” she said. “And I think we really have to have that hard conversation in this country.”
Woodhouse Nepinak said the AFN will also be looking to get a new mandate from the federal government regarding child welfare reform.
In a move deemed controversial by some, during a special chiefs assembly in Calgary in October, the AFN rejected a $47.8 billion deal from the government, which was struck to correct the federal government’s underfunding of on-reserve child welfare services.
Chiefs from across the country voted against the resolution, stating it was not adequate enough.
“We’re looking for a new mandate,” said Woodhouse Nepinak, who has written a letter to the federal government seeking a better offer.
Despite rejecting the deal and the fact there is no timetable for a new system to be put forth, Woodhouse Nepinak is pleased this issue is at the forefront.
“The one thing was that everybody was really engaged, from coast to coast to coast,” she said. “We had the highest number, a record number of attendants, at that assembly, both online and in assembly. It was such a big issue and everybody was really clear that they want to work towards finding a solution for our kids.
"The current system is not working. So, I think that was a good thing. I’m glad that we talked about it. Nobody has ever talked about that issue in this country before. I know it’s a hard topic to talk about.”
As for some successes that the AFN helped achieved in the past year, Woodhouse Nepinak said those included some historical legal victories related to First Nations jurisdiction, resource rights and police funding.
The AFN also fought for and raised awareness of various calls to justice and calls to action.
Plus, it published a blueprint, in partnership with the Conference Board of Canada, addressing Canada’s infrastructure gap.
“I think that’s a good thing,” she said of the recommendation that federal funding into Indigenous communities will end up benefitting all Canadians. “They have to really look towards investing in the First Nations infrastructure gap.”
Woodhouse Nepinak added she’s looking forward to heading up the work the AFN will do in the coming year.
“In 2025, as busy as we have been in 2024, we’re just getting started,” she said. “And as we’ve seen in 2024, record numbers of people coming to our assemblies talking about issues now, not talking at each other. It’s more on the issues. And I think that’s a good thing.”
Woodhouse Nepinak also said it has been an honour to serve as a political advocate for chiefs to government, to corporations and to organizations.
“We still have work ahead,” she said. “But by strengthening our relations and by being united, I think First Nations can achieve anything. Maybe I’m optimistic. But I think building those relations is so important.”