October 20, 2026 — Bill C-37, the First Nations Clean Water Act, has passed second reading in Parliament. We want to set the record straight: this process is failing First Nations.

First Nations have inherent and Treaty rights to water that were never surrendered. And yet here we are again, with the federal government trying to pass top-down legislation about water without doing the work of listening and working with us.

Nearly two years ago, the CSC and Canada signed Terms of Reference establishing a Treaty Bilateral Table on Water—a dedicated space for Chiefs and the Crown to sit down and work through issues exactly like these. Despite that signed agreement, we are still waiting on an official meeting to take place this year.

You cannot say you respect Treaty rights while ignoring the agreements you signed and pushing legislation forward. True partnership isn’t handing over a finished bill and asking for comments after. It’s sitting down together before it is even written.

Water is sacred. It sustains our people, our lands, and our way of life.

We need to get this legislation right, and that can only happen when First Nations have a real voice in protecting our water and our rights.