Blackbird Insights: First Nations Perspective on the Canada-U.S. Economic Summit

On Friday, February 7, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the recently convened Council on Canada-U.S. Relations held a summit in Toronto to bring hundreds of Canadian leaders to the table and strategize on tariff response measures and ways to navigate economic uncertainty from the U.S.

Blackbird’s Vice President, Travis Boissoneau, CPA, CMA , was one of the leaders in attendance. He gave Blackbird Consultant, Erica Wallis , his insights on the meeting and key takeaways for First Nations.

Erica: How did you get involved with the Canada-U.S. Economic Summit in the first place?

Travis: Tabatha Bull is the President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business and a member of the Council on Canada-U.S. Relations. She invited me along with other Indigenous leaders in business, public policy, and governance to participate in the Summit and ensure there was a large representation of Indigenous people in the room. She’s an important economic leader and has been instrumental in bringing as many Indigenous voices to the table as possible.

Set the stage for us - what was the feeling in that room? Did it change as the conversations progressed?

The room was relatively positive, and I could tell people were glad to have the chance to speak up for their industry and communities. But of course, there’s so much uncertainty and apprehension that remains and that didn’t go away after just one afternoon.

What was your primary takeaway from the Summit?

The Summit focused on the need to build partnerships and ensure a strong Canadian economy that can be self-reliant through this uncertainty. We talked about how to improve economic relationships across provinces, and we talked about how important partnerships with Indigenous leaders and Nations are going to be, especially as we look at the role that resources play in economic strength. We have so many resources that the U.S. needs and it’s important to recognize that as an advantage that can ensure Canada remains a strong voice at the table – and that Indigenous leaders are at the forefront.

What was the main takeaway regarding Indigenous affairs?

Everything discussed at the Summit was relevant to First Nations. All our main industries in the Canadian economy - nuclear, oil pipelines, resource management – fall in Treaty lands. The Canadian economy must move forward by engaging Indigenous Knowledge and knowing these are Indigenous lands. That’s why it’s so important for our Nations to have equity partnerships in these projects and access to the capital required to participate in the national and international economy. It’s important for people to start viewing First Nations leaders as real economic partners. When we had breakout sessions at the summit, almost a third of participants reporting back referenced the need for First Nations involvement and leadership. That’s something we have to recognize and leverage.

It’s not just industry either - Indigenous leaders bring a unique perspective on matters of borders and security. One of Trump’s persistent concerns is the flow of fentanyl across borders. Unfortunately, First Nations have firsthand experience with the consequences of opioids, as jurisdictional grey areas increasingly allow fentanyl onto Treaty lands from the rest of Canada. When we talk about this at a national level, First Nations have a unique perspective on what’s working and what isn’t.

How was reconciliation discussed at the Summit?

I’m not sure if the word ‘reconciliation’ was said – and I have mixed feelings about that. In a sense, the importance of First Nations involvement and economics was discussed at length and incorporated into pretty much every topic – and so it almost didn’t need to be framed as Reconciliation, and more as a matter of practice.

In a way that might be a positive thing...sometimes ‘reconciliation’ can be thrown out as a platitude. At the Summit, I appreciated that references to Indigenous involvement were practical and actionable, instead of thrown out as an afterthought. I think that’s a good thing – to see ‘Indigenous economics’ not as a separate sector, but just as basic economics.

How should First Nations leaders adapt looking forward? What should they be doing to respond to tariffs?

We’re going to need to do a lot of advocacy work to ensure that First Nations voices remain at the forefront of this conversation. That starts with maintaining a strong presence with the Council on U.S.-Canada relations, and it continues with ensuring we are strategically engaging Canadian leaders in government and business. We won’t be left out of this conversation.

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