The Honourable Wab Kinew
Premier of Manitoba
204 Legislative Building
450 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB R3C 0V8
April 22, 2025
Re: Open letter responding to ongoing discussions between Manitoba and Ambassadors of the European Union about exporting our natural resources
Dear Premier,
I am writing about the recent Nation-to-Nation discussions held with Ambassadors from the European Union during their visit to Manitoba. The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is concerned that First Nations leadership were not included in these conversations.
Nation-to-Nation relationships with First Nations are rooted in recognition, respect, and a shared responsibility to uphold Treaty rights and advance reconciliation. The federal government of Canada and the provincial government of Manitoba are bound by both domestic and international legal obligations that affirm the right of Indigenous peoples to free, prior, and informed consent in all matters affecting our lands, territories, and resources.
Excluding First Nation leadership—especially SCO, which represents 32 Anishinaabe and Dakota Nations in southern Manitoba—from such high-level diplomatic engagements undermines those principles.
International partners are increasingly aware of the importance of engaging directly with First Nations, especially in discussions involving trade, environment, human rights, and shared global priorities.
Excluding First Nations peoples sends the wrong message both domestically and abroad, suggesting that First Nations voices are optional rather than essential in shaping Manitoba’s future and its global relationships.
I urge your office to take immediate steps to address this oversight and to ensure that in all future engagements involving international representatives, First Nation leadership—especially organizations like SCO—are meaningfully included as partners. Doing so would truly reflect the spirit and intent of reconciliation. It would also demonstrate the kind of leadership and respect that Manitobans expect from their government.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to seeing how your government takes steps to rectify this and to ensure stronger, more inclusive practices moving forward.
Miigwetch, pidamye, and thank you,
Ogema Makwa
Grand Chief Jerry Daniels
Southern Chiefs’ Organization
cc: All Chiefs of SCO Nations