Justin Trudeau may be stepping down as Prime Minister in the coming months, but until the next federal election is called, a flurry of Indigenous leaders and consultants will be pressing hard to make sure the gains made under his government are not lost.

Work on legislation that needs to move through committees and requires royal assent to become law has officially been paused, now that Parliament has been prorogued. That includes Bill C-61, the Clean Water Act, which was held up by Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer in December. But the government still works and the Cabinet still acts. The executive branch still has the authority to move vital negotiations along and enact real policies that can save lives. And Canada and First Nations leaders can still push forward in some vital areas: specifically, the $47.8-billion child welfare agreement that, after years of hard-won negotiation, was rejected by the majority of Assembly of First Nations chiefs at a special assembly in October.

Bill to ensure clean drinking water systems on First Nations dies with Parliament’s........

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