It’s ironic that the Canadian state, which has historically neglected or downplayed the demands of Indigenous Peoples in the name of national sovereignty, now has to fight for its own independence. May it learn some lasting lessons.  .

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U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats against Canada’s sovereignty are rekindling the patriotic spirit in Canadians. As the federal election made clear right until the very end of the race, the ballot box question was which candidate would be best able to stand up to Trump and defend the country against tariffs and threats of annexation.

Canadian voters have decided in favour of Liberal Party leader Mark Carney. For Canada’s Indigenous communities, waves of patriotism and changes in leadership are not synonymous with hope and renewal. Power may change hands, but it is based on an institutional continuity shaped for over 150 years, often without – or even against – the recognition of Indigenous rights.

With any prime minister from any party, the problem is that the underlying logic of the Canadian state remains unchanged: it’s based on the centralization of power, the control of resources and the management of Indigenous Peoples through colonial structures such as the Indian Act. The political faces change, but the mechanisms of domination remain.

Conditional and vulnerable sovereignty

Canada is now stepping into the moccasins of Indigenous Peoples and getting a taste from the United States of what it means to be subject to an outside power dictating the rules of the game. Justin Trudeau’s initial hesitant reaction to Trump’s initial threat illustrated Canada’s fundamental fragility: A state economically dependent on a domineering neighbour cannot fully assert its sovereignty.

This dilemma is reminiscent of that experienced by First Nations since the earliest days of colonization. When the treaties were signed, the promises were as solemn as they were poetic: “As long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the rivers flow…” But assimilation and dispossession run by their own logic of relentless inevitability.

Today, it’s Canada that’s discovering the instability of dependence on a more powerful partner. The free trade agreements negotiated under the Mulroney government and renegotiated with Trump under Trudeau were thought to secure Canada’s position but ended up reinforcing vulnerability. Suddenly Canada finds itself dependent on Washington’s unilateral decisions, a situation familiar to First Nations.

Double standards in the face of the threat

When First Nations defend their rights, whether through rail blockades, peaceful occupations or legal recourse, the state’s response is often swift, brutal and inflexible. The RCMP is deployed. The courts are engaged. The army mobilized.

But when Trump openly threatened the Canadian economy, the reaction was cautious, sometimes fearful. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, initially in confrontational mode over the Trump administration’s attacks on Canadian aluminum exports and the “unnecessary trade war,” threatened to cut off electricity to U.S. states. He quickly reversed himself, welcoming the more conciliatory tone of Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick – especially after threats of retaliation from Washington.

This contrast is revealing. The Canadian government acts decisively against the most vulnerable, even within its own population, but softens its tone in the face of a foreign power when economic risk looms.

Revisiting our concept of sovereignty

It’s no coincidence that, despite a change of prime minister, the fundamental policies remain the same. Land control, police action against the Wet’suwet’en, legal battles before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal over Indigenous children – nothing has changed.

Canada likes to think of itself as a fair and just country. But it too often acts as a bureaucratic empire, founded on selective memory, centralizing force, and persistent indifference to Indigenous voices.

The time has come to rethink our concept of sovereignty. It’s not by raising a flag or changing the head of government that we become truly independent. It’s by recognizing the sovereignty of all peoples who share this territory.

First Nations don’t ask for charity or apology: they demand respect for treaties, real autonomy, and an equitable place in diplomacy and international relations. They are nations with their own interests that span colonial borders.

Canada’s sovereignty will only be legitimate when it integrates that of the First Nations. The country can no longer be based on exclusion, paternalism or fear. In an unstable world, the strongest alliances must begin right here, on this shared land. Prior to his election, Prime Minister Mark Carney reiterated his commitment to advancing reconciliation and emphasized that the federal government will seek the advice of Indigenous leaders on how to build Canada’s economy.

And yet, during a campaign stop in Winnipeg, he uttered not a single word of recognition for Indigenous Peoples, nor a hint on reconciliation.

Trump: a mirror for Canada

Donald Trump, with his threats, aggressive nationalism and transactional vision of international relations, is not an anomaly in the political landscape – he’s a mirror. He’s showing Canada what it means to be dominated. What it’s like to have your rights threatened by the logic of domination. What First Nations people have been experiencing for generations.

It’s ironic that the Canadian state, which has historically neglected or downplayed the demands of Indigenous Peoples in the name of national sovereignty, now has to fight for its own independence. May it learn some lasting lessons.

This article first appeared on Policy Options and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Robert-Falcon Ouellette is originally from the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. A veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and associate professor of education at the University of Ottawa, he conducts research in Indigenous education, military ethics and political science. He is the second Indigenous person to obtain a doctorate from Université Laval in 350 years. A former federal MP, he chaired the Indigenous caucus.