Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige has issued a statement pushing back against the Canada Investment Summit 2026, an invitation-only event hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney in partnership with Canada Pension Investment Board and PSP Investments. The two-day summit, held this week, brought together global investors, Canadian corporate executives, and public sector representatives with the goal of accelerating new investment into Canada.
In the statement, Debassige said the lands and resources being discussed as targets for development and investment fall within the treaty territories of Anishinabek First Nations in the Great Lakes region. She noted that at a reception ahead of the summit, Carney had described trust as Canada’s greatest strength, one that “cannot be found on any balance sheet.” The Anishinabek Nation argued that the federal and Ontario governments, along with investors, have continued to overlook the Nation’s inherent rights and title, as well as court rulings that have affirmed its sovereignty over lands and resources.
Trust and Treaty Obligations
The statement said this pattern of disregard creates uncertainty around the summit and undermines the confidence that responsible investment requires. The Anishinabek Nation said it will continue to hold the Crown accountable and demand that the federal government fulfill its constitutional and treaty obligations. According to the statement, meaningful trust must be established before investment proceeds in Anishinabek territories.
The statement drew a historical comparison to 1670, when the Crown under King Charles II issued a royal charter establishing the Hudson’s Bay Company, which built trading posts and commercial relationships with First Peoples based on trust to meet European demand for beaver pelts. The Anishinabek Nation said the same principle applies today: that the resources in question belong to its Nations, and that certainty for investors cannot simply be assumed.
Call for Government Action
The Anishinabek Nation called on all levels of government to move past what it described as a failure to recognize its inherent rights, particularly with a First Ministers Summit approaching and amid reports that the Prime Minister is negotiating resource-related deals internationally. The statement urged Carney to demonstrate a commitment to upholding the honour of the Crown, treaty relationships, and the principles of reconciliation with respect to Anishinabek Nation sovereignty.
The Anishinabek Nation said it remains willing to work collaboratively with governments and investors, provided that economic development in its communities is equitable and that projects respect environmental integrity. The statement concluded that resources on Anishinabek lands are not Canada’s to allocate for the purpose of attracting investment, asserting that the Anishinabek Peoples have been stewards of the land since time immemorial.
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