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

First Nations leaders are set to join Prime Minister Mark Carney and the provincial premiers in Ottawa today, for a ceremony leading up to a significant meeting scheduled for Monday. This gathering will mark the first of its kind since the Kelowna Accord talks of 2005, where premiers and then-Prime Minister Paul Martin convened with Indigenous leaders to address the socioeconomic disparities within their communities.

The First Nations will be represented at the closed-door meeting on Monday primarily by regional chiefs from the Assembly of First Nations. While the Privy Council Office has not disclosed the list of attending premiers, it is known that Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will not be present.

The ceremonies will be held in Ottawa, gathering knowledge keepers, elders, First Nations leaders, and community members. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak emphasized the importance of beginning the meeting with ceremonies to ensure that all participants approach the discussions with the correct mindset, anchored in First Nations spirituality. This report by The Canadian Press was originally published on October 25, 2026.