Carney’s “time immemorial” comment on coastal First Nations draws online pushback
Carney is facing backlash after falsely claiming the Coastal First Nations–Great Bear Initiative has acted as an environmental steward “since time immemorial.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing backlash after falsely claiming the Coastal First Nations–Great Bear Initiative has acted as an environmental steward “since time immemorial.” The group drawing praise is not a First Nation at all, but a non-governmental organization established less than 30 years ago.
Carney made the remarks on X following a meeting earlier this week with Coastal First Nations (CFN) leadership focused on marine conservation, ocean protection and economic development.
The post has since been flagged with a “Community Note,” which allows X users to anonymously submit corrections to posts containing potential misinformation.
“The post is ambiguously worded, implying that he met with the leadership of First Nations from the coast when in fact he met with the leaders of a lobby group that has never been entrusted with stewardship of resources, from time immemorial or any other time,” the Community Note states.
CFN is not a First Nations group. It is a non-profit consortium representing nearly a dozen First Nations along British Columbia’s central and north coast. Established in 2003, it functions as a “coordinated advocacy body” for these groups.
Energy adviser, researcher and activist Melissa Mbarki posted on X: “He didn’t meet with the leaders of the Coastal First nations who are under modern treaties or who are self governed. These nations should be consulted but he met a non profit organization instead!”
Lawyer and constitutional commentator Keith Wilson further clarified on X that Carney’s statements on his meeting with CFN miss a more serious issue: the federal government’s approach to jurisdiction over interprovincial infrastructure.
Responding to Carney’s comments, Wilson argued that the prime minister is effectively abandoning Ottawa’s exclusive constitutional authority over interprovincial pipelines by signalling that approval decisions rest with British Columbia and First Nations rather than the federal government.
“Canada’s confederation is built on a clear rule: the federal government alone has exclusive jurisdiction over interprovincial pipelines,” Wilson wrote, adding that statements suggesting provincial or Indigenous consent is determinative are “unconstitutional and bad policy.”
Wilson also argued that neither historic treaties nor Section 35 of the Constitution confer a veto over major infrastructure projects, citing repeated court rulings that require consultation but not consent.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Carney’s meeting with CFN President Chief K̓áwáziɫ Marilyn Slett and other leaders focused on partnership opportunities to strengthen marine conservation while supporting a sustainable economy.
In a statement, the PMO said Carney committed to renewing funding for the Oceans Protection Plan Reconciliation Framework Agreement in 2026–27 and directed ministers to work with partners on a proposed five-year funding pathway to be presented by this spring.
Coastal First Nations is a Foreign Financed NGO. CFN does not even represent indigenous peoples interests.
Carney the idiot fool.