Federal governments tells self-governance summit they’re committed to advancing Mi’kmaw Nation

A key federal official says Ottawa is committed to advancing the Mi’kmaw Nation, and getting Indigenous Peoples “out from under the Indian Act.”

Marc Miller, the parliamentary secretary to the federal Crown-Indigenous Relations minister, told a First Nations self-governance summit in Halifax that the paternalistic constraints of the Indian Act lead directly to dependency, isolation and indignities.

READ MORE: First Nations summit in Halifax focuses on self-government, self-determination

He says those mistakes must not be repeated as the federal government works with Indigenous Peoples on treaty implementation, recognition of inherent rights and nation building.

Miller says he recognizes that there is no pan-Indigenous approach to reconciliation, and that Ottawa will listen to the priorities of Indigenous Peoples in the Atlantic region and support the advancement of the Mi’kmaw Nation.

First Nations leaders from across Canada are gathered at the Halifax Convention Centre today for the second day of a regional summit on self-governance, with a focus on finding a pathway to nationhood for Indigenous Peoples in the Atlantic region known as Mi’kma’ki.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched a national engagement process with Indigenous Peoples earlier this year, proposing a new legislative framework designed to pave the way towards stronger rights and greater control over their own destiny.