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Aboriginal Relations

Strengthening Our Ties With Indigenous Communities



At CN, we respectfully acknowledge that our railway was built and continues to be operated across many traditional territories and treaty areas of Indigenous peoples. CN’s network spans 18,800 miles across Turtle Island (North America) and operates within or adjacent to nearly 230 reserve lands of more than 120 First Nations and Métis communities in Canada and seven tribal reservations in the United States. We are grateful for the privilege of working and residing on these lands. We recognize and honour the original people who continue to serve as the traditional stewards of the land.

Working in conjunction with Indigenous communities across the CN network, our priority is to strengthen ties, cultivate and develop mutually beneficial relationships, and create economic opportunities to work toward reconciliation. We recognize the importance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and its guiding principles within the context of existing Canadian and U.S. law.

CN’s commitment to developing respectful and sustainable relationships with all Indigenous peoples across the CN network is in line with our commitment to reconciliation, our Indigenous Vision adopted in 2013 and our Indigenous Relations Policy adopted in 2024.

CN’s Indigenous Vision

  • Develop respectful and mutually beneficial relationships with all Indigenous peoples, while ensuring service to our customers.
  • Be recognized by key stakeholders, including customers and governments, as having a sound approach to engaging with Indigenous communities and having a respectful and sustainable relationship with Indigenous peoples across the CN network.

  Read CN’s formal acknowledgement of the historical role railways played as instruments of colonial policies (PDF)

  Read CN’s new Indigenous Relations Policy (PDF)

Our Logo

Our Indigenous Relations logo has been inspired by the relationships CN maintains with all Indigenous peoples in Canada. The First Nations are represented by the eagle feather, the Métis by the infinity symbol and the Inuit by the Inukshuk. The three symbols together with the CN logo show the Company's commitment to developing and maintaining respectful and sustainable relationships with Indigenous peoples across our network. CN worked with the University of Winnipeg's Indigenous Studies group to create the logo.

CN Indigenous Relations


Strategic Pillars

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Indigenous Relations Team


Mélanie Allaire
Head of Indigenous Relations

514-399-7694

Email Mélanie


Daniel Gagné
Senior Manager, Indigenous Relations and Engagement

514-809-9464

Email Daniel

Vanessa James
Manager, Indigenous Relations, Employment Partnerships

780-643-7723

Email Vanessa

Jennifer Jerome
Manager, Indigenous Relations
Quebec & Maritimes

514-209-9018

Email Jennifer



Karla Graf
Manager, Indigenous Relations
BC North

604-679-8039

Email Karla

Steven Santelli
Manager, Indigenous Relations
Saskatchewan and Manitoba

204-232-7652

Email Steven

Theresa Nelson
Manager, Indigenous Relations
Ontario

705-943-6011

Email Theresa