Draft Media Messaging for Indigenous Groups Responding to Bill C-5

As Bill C-5 moved through Parliament with alarming speed, many Indigenous leaders, organizations, and communities are grappling with how to respond — and how to make their voices heard in an increasingly crowded media environment. 

The legislation, which aims to fast-track major infrastructure and resource projects, poses serious risks to Indigenous rights, land stewardship, and the principle of free, prior, and informed consent. For those preparing to speak out, clear, compelling communication has never been more important.

Emdash and Lodge Consulting recently partnered to offer a free media training session for Indigenous groups navigating this shifting landscape. One of the most common requests we received was for adaptable key messages: statements that could help spokespeople respond to media inquiries, write op-eds, or speak with confidence at press conferences and community events.

Below, we’re sharing a set of suggested key messages developed with this in mind. They’re designed to support clarity, consistency, and impact — and to be adapted by each Nation, Provincial or Territorial Organization, or other group to reflect local realities, community protocols, and lived experience.

1. Bill C-5 is being positioned as a way to expedite development — but for Indigenous Peoples, it threatens to fast-track the erosion of our inherent rights, our laws, and our responsibilities to land and water. 
2. It bypasses our governance, overrides our consent, and undermines the foundation of reconciliation.
3. This is not just a local issue — it’s a global story with deep roots in every territory and nation
4. The Canadian government has said it believes in reconciliation, in UNDRIP, in partnership. Bill C-5 is the exact opposite. It is being forced through without the free, prior, and informed consent of First Nations, Inuit, or Métis governments — and without regard for the self-determination of our Peoples.
5. If Canada wants to be seen as a human rights leader, it needs to start at home —  by respecting Indigenous sovereignty, legal orders, and our inherent jurisdiction over our lands and resources. 
6. Indigenous peoples do not back down when our rights are under threat — because our rights aren’t just legal, they are ancestral. 
7. Our nationhood is anchored in our history long before contact, colonization, and current Canadian government. This fight is about our collective right to self-determination. The right to shape our futures — and to say no when projects harm our lands, waters and the next seven generations.
8. Our opposition is not obstruction — it’s protection. Our rights are not only legal — they are sacred, passed down through our ancestors and held in trust for future generations.

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We hope these key messages offer a helpful starting point as you shape your response to Bill C-5. Whether you're preparing a public statement, supporting community spokespeople, or engaging with the media, strong, values-driven communication can make a meaningful difference.

As always, we encourage you to adapt these messages in ways that reflect your community’s voice, priorities, and protocols.

_{Hillory Tenute is the CEO of the Lodge Consulting; Caitlin Kealey is the CEO of Emdash}