Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. acknowledges and welcomes today’s announcement by the Prime Minister outlining Canada’s new national strategy to protect the environment, including commitments to advance protection of the Seal River Watershed, invest $230 million to expand the Indigenous Land Guardians program, and develop Canada’s first National Water Security Strategy. These commitments reflect long-standing priorities advanced by First Nations and represent important steps toward conservation and environmental stewardship.
At the same time, MKO raises serious concerns regarding the federal government’s stated intention to “leverage regional assessments under the Impact Assessment Act to proactively address the effects of development on a region before project reviews.” As clearly articulated by MKO Chiefs in Assembly, Canada cannot rely on provinces and territories to adequately carry out regional assessments that meet federal constitutional and legislative obligations, particularly where Indigenous rights and interests are concerned.
In a letter dated March 11, 2026, to the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canada Energy Regulator, MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee underscored that it is not in the public interest for Canada to implicitly rely on provincial licensing and review processes as a proxy for fulfilling its obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act or its constitutional duties to uphold and affirm Indigenous rights through the interpretation and application of federal law.
While MKO applauds the Prime Minister’s environmental commitments, we emphasize that meaningful action must be accompanied by binding legislative reform.
“MKO continues to push for a Northern Conservation Fund and stronger federal energy regulation. First Nation lands, rights, and communities must be protected—and First Nations must share equitably in the benefits, not just the impacts. “— Grand Chief Garrison Settee
MKO therefore reiterates its expectation that Canada move swiftly to amend the Canada Energy Regulator Act and associated Regulations to ensure that approvals of electricity exports, particularly Manitoba Hydro’s exports to the United States, explicitly consider and impose enforceable terms and conditions addressing: environmental effects; continuity and access to essential public and community services; the full life?cycle needs of fish, wildlife, migratory birds, and plants; the meaningful exercise of First Nations’ constitutionally protected rights to hunt, fish, trap, and gather; the full and faithful implementation of agreements with First Nations related to electricity production; the equitable distribution of benefits through contracting, training, employment, and resource equity; and the equitable and uniform application of system reliability standards for domestic customers.
Ultimately, environmental protection and reconciliation cannot be advanced through policy announcements alone. Canada must work directly and meaningfully with First Nation rights holders as decision-makers, not as stakeholders, by respecting jurisdictions, upholding constitutionally protected rights, and ensuring First Nations are full partners in the development, assessment, and governance of projects that will affects First Nation lands, waters and Peoples. Federal leadership must be grounded in law, accountability, and Nation-to-Nation relationship.
