The chief of Long Plain First Nation says it's too early to say what the new Progressive Conservative Cabinet will mean for Manitoba's indigenous population. Dennis Meeches notes there is some concern over the downsized cabinet, noting the amalgamation of the Indigenous and Northern Affairs, and Municipal Affairs portfolios. However, he says just what the combination will mean can't be determined just yet. He says while it could be looked at as a downgrade, it could also benefit the relationship between the province and Indigenous population.

"I think in recent years we have been shrinking our relationship with indigenous affairs, and just recently there was an announcement from the Association of Manitoba Municipalities that they're going to work in partnership with Indigenous communities on the creation of urban reserves. I'm hoping that things will go well."

Despite some initial concerns, and what Meeches describes as a "frosty relationship" with premier Brian Pallister, he says they're going to give the new government a chance to prove themselves before making any judgements.

"We won't know until we give the Pallister government some time to settle in and work through this. I guess we'll obviously be watching closely on how that works for indigenous people and I think Pallister recognizes that the indigenous file is a very complicated file, and one that will deserve a lot of his attention while he's in office."

He hopes to see a strengthened relationship between the PC Government and first nations, and encourages Pallister to seek out advice from those who are heavily involved in indigenous issues.