First Nations youth, MP Leah Gazan warn new federal laws threaten rights, water and consent

First Nations youth and NDP Indigenous affairs critic Leah Gazan used a Parliament Hill news conference Wednesday to warn that three major federal bills risk undermining treaty rights, free, prior and informed consent, and protections for water and land. Gazan was joined by Ramon Kataquapit, who sits on the Chiefs of Ontario’s Youth Council, and other First Nations youth advocates, Jeronimo Kataquapit, Cedar Iahtail, Dara Wawatie-Chabot, Katisha Paul and Celine Debassige.  They focused on the proposed bills, C-39 (the Building Canada Strong Act), C-37 (the First Nations Clean Water Act), and the Bill C-5, which passed in 2025, arguing the legislation prioritizes rapid resource development over Indigenous jurisdiction and long-term community health. Gazan said that Bill C-39’s one-year review timelines and expanded ministerial powers to exempt projects from certain environmental and heritage rules effectively hinder Section 35 rights and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Ramon Kataquapit protesting outside the First Nations-First Ministers Meeting on Monday in Ottawa. Photo: Keelan Jacobs/APTN. Gazan said “[Prime Minister] Mark Carney has demonstrated that he already doesn’t respect the Constitutional rights of Indigenous peoples.” in regard to Bill C-37 and Bill C-39. Gazan added that Carney “might be trying to distract us from his monumental human rights violations against Indigenous people’s workers and gutting of environmental protections. But we see through the game. Our eye is on the prize.” Kataquapit, speaking as a youth leader, said young people are watching the proposed laws that will shape the lands and waters they inherit. “You know, when it comes to the prosperity of Canada and pushing forward with these pieces of legislation, whose prosperity is it ?” he said. “It’s not ours. And more often than not, they are willing to step on our First Nations necks to force us into economic coercion. “Meanwhile, we have to suffer everything from it, for the future of our children, for the species that we depend on. This isn’t just a piece of legislation to help Canadians build their sovereignty. “This piece of legislation can quite literally mean death and set a bad precedent for having your democratic rights and your voices heard within things concerning your future. So that’s why we’re standing here today to give you a warning.”  Advocates at the event stressed that Indigenous youth will live with the consequences of weakened consultation timelines, limited water protections, and accelerated project approvals circumventing free and informed prior consent.  Gazan accused the prime minister of monumental human rights violations against Indigenous peoples. Photo by: Keelan Jacobs/APTN. The gathering underscored a generational stake. Youth organizers said they are already living with the results of past decisions: communities under long-term drinking-water advisories, housing shortages, and resource projects approved with contested consultation. They framed the current bills as continuing that pattern rather than breaking it. Bill C-5, passed in 2025, created a pathway for “projects of national interest.” Bill C-39 builds on that framework with tighter timelines and broader exemption powers.  Bill C-37, still before committee, is the government’s response to earlier court settlements and political pressure on First Nations water, yet many rights holders say it falls short of enforceable obligations and full recognition of water being an inherent human right. The news conference comes days after the First Nations–First Ministers Meeting in Ottawa and amid ongoing Federal Court of Appeal hearings in Winnipeg on Canada’s legal duties to provide safe drinking water and adequate housing on reserve.  Advocates linked the legislative and courtroom battles, arguing that political talk of partnership is undercut when omnibus bills like C-5 and C-39 limit informed and prior consent.  The event highlighted a clear message from the next generation that decisions made in Ottawa this fall will determine whether Indigenous youth inherit stronger rights and cleaner water — or another cycle of legal fights and compromised lands. Keelan JacobsOnline Journalist | OttawaKeelan is Anishinaabe from Walpole Island First Nation (Bkejwanong Territory). He graduated with an Honours B.A. In Political Science from the University of Toronto and follows the stories where power, money and public policy meet. Keelan has a strong interest in economics and finance, and is a lifelong hockey and sports fan. Continue Reading