VANCOUVER — Chief Allan Adams of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation stormed out of the a meeting with Justin Trudeau in Vancouver yesterday.
Adams said the meeting did not discuss environmental protection initiatives but instead focused on economic development and transitioning Canada toward a green economy.
Indigenous leaders were invited to attend the meeting to provide feedback on how to cope with the crisis of climate change in Canada. However those leaders present all shared frustrations that they were not given time to speak.
Chiefs present at the ministers meeting said they requested AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde be invited to the First Ministers meeting on Thursday to bring the indigenous perspective to the table. However they were informed by Trudeau that would not be permitted.
Indigneous leaders are now expressing frustrations that the federal government and premiers are seeking to make a national declaration on climate change speaking on behalf of the indigenous perspective without fully hearing it.
Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day expressed his frustrations that those invited indigenous leaders had no input at the meeting. Day said First Nations leading a climate change accord is one response to the growing crisis of climate change.
