Federal cabinet shuffle brings in first ever Filipina-Canadian minister

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Miller moved out of Crown-Indigenous Relations

Story by The Canadian Press • Yesterday 

A federal cabinet shuffle has seen Marc Miller switched out of his post as minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC).

Miller, whose frequent visits to Kahnawake and efforts to learn Kanien’kéha have endeared him to many in the community, will now head up the immigration ministry.

“I think that Miller was doing a phenomenal job in his role as the Indigenous Affairs minister, so that one really surprised me,” said Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) grand chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer.

“It’s been kind of the MO of the federal government that when things start to get good momentum, they tend to change people, and that, to me, is the disheartening part.”

Miller’s interest in the community predates his rise in the Liberal government, said Sky-Deer. “He’s always been a friend to Kahnawake,” she said, noting that Miller has attended local Remembrance Day events, the Echoes of a Proud Nation Pow-Wow, and last month’s Pride parade. At this year’s powwow, Miller was asked to carry the Canadian flag during the Grand Entry.

“It’s not often you see ministers taking that much of an interest, an active role in building a relationship with the community and the Council. So we’re definitely going to be sad to see him go,” Sky-Deer said.

Miller has been a minister working on issues pertaining to Indigenous communities since 2019, when he was named minister of Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). He was moved to CIRNAC in 2021.

While his new role is more general, the immigration ministry does work on issues of relevance to Kahnawake, meaning there are ongoing opportunities for collaboration, according to Sky-Deer, such as the Jay Treaty and other border issues.

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“I am sad,” said Miller at a press scrum Wednesday. “It doesn’t mean my relationships I’ve built with Indigenous leaders and just members of communities are going away.” He said he intends to carry on with commitments he has made, such as learning Kanien’kéha.

“Anyone who is in my job who isn’t taking this personally probably isn’t doing it well.”

He made the case that if someone like him can come to understand what is at stake for Indigenous Peoples, other Canadians can too, saying his comprehension has grown over the four years he has been heading up files relating to Indigenous issues.

Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal member of parliament for Scarborough-Rouge Park, is the new minister of CIRNAC.

“What I think I bring to the table is a unique understanding of the rights-based issue that is internationally-grounded,” said Anandasangaree.

“I think what we need to do in Canada is to build on the work that our government has done, not just in respect of the laws that are important, but also to continue to rebuild that relationship, one that will ensure there is self-determination at the core of every relationship that we have.”

Sky-Deer hopes Anandasangaree will hit the ground running.

Other ministers MCK deals with were also shuffled, including former Public Safety minister Marco Mendicino, who came to Kahnawake to discuss gun control legislation, and former Justice minister David Lametti, who was dropped from cabinet, and whom MCK had been engaging with on the gaming file.

gmbankuti@gmail.com

Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door