Carney to address Assembly of First Nations

Prime Minister Mark Carney will address hundreds of First Nations chiefs gathered in Ottawa today for the December meeting of the Assembly of First Nations.

Carney's appearance before the chiefs could be a tense moment, coming just days after Ottawa signed a pipeline agreement with Alberta, which some First Nations leaders have condemned over a lack of consultation and environmental risks.

Prime ministers and their cabinets traditionally attend the December meeting to gauge the outlook of First Nations leadership and field chiefs' questions and criticisms.

Carney participated in a similar event once before, when he hosted chiefs in Gatineau, Que., to discuss his government's controversial major projects legislation in July.

Some of the most prominent members of Carney's cabinet will address the chiefs over the course of the three-day gathering: Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, National Defence Minister David McGuinty and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang