As the new federal government grapples with how to tackle the growing trade war between Canada and the U.S., Patty Hajdu says a key opportunity to strengthen domestic economies lies with reconciliation.

While more than a dozen positions have been cut in Prime Minister Mark Carney's lean 24-person cabinet — down from 39 members under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — Hajdu has maintained her role as minister of Indigenous Services.

Hajdu was first elected as MP of Thunder Bay—Superior North in 2015 and became minister in 2021. She was also formerly the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, but this role has been merged under Carney's government under one economic development agency portfolio.

"It's a very big honour to continue to serve in this role and in this particular cabinet, which is the cabinet that's needing to respond to, I think, a significant crisis … one of the largest crises of our lifetime," Hajdu told CBC News in an interview on Friday following the swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall.

Amid escalating tariffs and taunts from U.S. president Donald Trump that Canada will become the 51st state, Hajdu admits that Canada's 30th ministry has a daunting task at hand.

"We need to be, as a country, self-sufficient. We need to be strong economically, we need to diversify our trade partners and we, of course, need to protect Canadians along that journey," she said.

For her, one of the key ways to do that is to strengthen Canada's relationships with Indigenous people and work alongside them to close the country's productivity gap and seize more local opportunities for growth.

"In order to achieve those goals, every single person in this country has to have a pathway to reach their full potential," she said.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), a political-territorial organization that represents 49 First Nations across Treaties 9 and 5, issued a statement Friday to congratulate Carney on his new role.

While NAN says "substantial progress" was made under Trudeau's government — including work around child welfare reform — "the Liberal leadership campaign lacked substantive conversation about federal responsibilities to First Nations."

"Our communities need to know that the challenges they are facing will be met with action, and that legislation to advance their interests will be prioritized," NAN said in its statement.

NAN also welcomed the return of Hajdu as minister of Indigenous Services, and of Gary Anandasangaree as minister of Crown– Indigenous relations and northern affairs Canada.

When it comes to the trade war, Hajdu said the government must maintain its procurement targets that allow thousands of Indigenous businesses to sell to the Government of Canada.

"Of course, we have to do that carefully and we have to ensure that we have a robust system to make sure that it is benefiting, in fact, Indigenous people," she said.

Fostering the country's growing Indigenous tourism economy is another fruitful area, she added.

But most important is making sure First Nations, Métis and Inuit people have equitable avenues for education and training, said Hajdu, "so that every Indigenous person in this country understands that they have purpose, value, hope and safety."