First Nations built the first North American economy—it’s time Canada recognized that

Partnership with Indigenous Peoples from the beginning of the CUSMA review would be a clear step towards economic reconciliation.

Prime Minister Mark Carney gives opening remarks at the First Nations Summit on Bill C-5 in Gatineau, Que., on July 17. If CUSMA doesn’t respect the first economies of North America, then it is not working for Canada either, writes Grand Chief Kyra Wilson.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY KYRA WILSON

November 12, 2025

UPDATED November 12, 2025

Long before anyone drew borders on a map, First Nations in these lands had expansive trade routes that connected our peoples from coast to coast to coast. Copper from Lake Superior, buffalo hides from the Plains, shells from the coasts—all moved freely through nations that...

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