(April 29, 2025 – Unceded Algonquin Territory, Ottawa) – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak made the following statement in response to 2025 federal election results:
“We would like to congratulate Prime Minister Mark Carney, his campaign team, and the Liberal Party of Canada on federal election victory. We also recognize Pierre Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh, Elizabeth May, Jonathan Pedneault, Yves-Francois Blanchet, their families, and campaign teams. It is not easy to run for national office. We owe each of these leaders an enormous debt of gratitude. On behalf of our Assembly, I also lift up Jagmeet for his support and advocacy for First Nations during his tenure as Leader of the New Democratic Party.
The AFN identified our priorities to each of the party leaders very clearly at the start of the campaign with federal priorities document, Prosperity for All. The AFN also hosted a series of virtual forums with each of the party leaders for Chiefs across this country to ask questions about these priorities, where we spoke about the importance of honouring promises, from Treaties and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls for Justice and Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. We emphasized the need for sustained investments to Close the Infrastructure Gap by building new homes, roads, clean water systems, schools, health care facilities, and high-speed internet. We also discussed the importance of economic reconciliation, ensuring First Nations are included in the negotiations with the U.S., and unleashing the full potential of the First Nations economy. Importantly, we discussed the urgent investments required in First Nation children and families and future generations through reforming the child welfare system and policing, protecting the environment, and strengthening education so our youth are prepared to succeed in the jobs of tomorrow.
What we heard from Prime Minister Carney was a commitment to fully and meaningfully advance First Nations priorities by immediately introducing legislation on the right to clean drinking water, fully implementing the UN Declaration, and reforming child and family services. We look forward to meeting with Prime Minister Carney immediately to discuss how we can move forward together with these commitments.
We also look forward to working with all Members of Parliament (MPs) across all parties to secure, safe, and prosperous country for First Nations and all Canadians, particularly with the elected First Nation MPs. We recognize all First Nation candidates that ran in this election. We are proud and inspired by your courage to step forward. Importantly, we lift up First Nations citizens across the country who took the time to vote, including those casting a ballot for the first time. Thanks to you, First Nation voices mattered in this campaign. I am very proud of our people.”
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The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is a national advocacy organization that works to advance the collective aspirations of First Nations individuals and communities across Canada on matters of national or international nature and concern.
For more information, please contact:
Cherish Francis
Press Secretary
National Chief’s Office
(343) 630-1372 (mobile)
[email protected]
Kelly Reid
Senior Communications Officer
Assembly of First Nations
(613) 292-0857 (mobile)
[email protected]