A couple of issues need immediate attention as rotating rail blockade disputes hit their third week, Scott Thompson says.

Chief Na'Moks (John Risdale) said the meeting, which had been cancelled hours earlier, was back on after hearing from the government that a "terrible miscommunication" was to blame for scuttling the talks.

The new law, passed as Bill C-92 last June, affirms the rights of Indigenous communities to enforce their own rules around child and family services.

The chief of a northwestern Ontario reserve – and an NDP candidate in this fall's federal election – is calling on Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O'Regan to sit down to hammer out an agreement on a long-promised treatment facility for mercury poisoning.

Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O'Regan says the federal government is committing more assistance for a northern Ontario reserve facing challenges with its water supply, including sending additional medical officials there this week.

Earlier this month, the community declared a state of emergency over concerns about chemical levels in tap water.

Help for the community experiencing the effects of mercury contamination seemed to be on the way when the federal government promised a specialized treatment facility on the reserve in November 2017.

Cat Lake leaders say terrible housing conditions have led to severe lung and skin ailments, especially among children.

The FSIN wants a moratorium on Indigenous child placement in provincial foster care without consent and consultation.

"To me, this is arguably the most pressing priority of my new department," Philpott said.