First Nations, Carney, premiers to gather for ceremony ahead of historic meeting

First Nations leaders, Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Canada's premiers are gathering in Ottawa for a ceremony ahead of a historic meeting scheduled for Monday. This meeting marks the first gathering of its kind since the 2005 Kelowna Accord talks. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak stated that beginning with a ceremony is important to ensure participants enter the meeting grounded in First Nations spirituality.

The ceremony will include elders, knowledge keepers, First Nations leaders, and community members. According to CityNews, the closed-door meeting on Monday will feature First Nations representation primarily through regional chiefs from the Assembly of First Nations. While the Privy Council Office has not specified which premiers will attend, Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have both stated they will be absent.

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