OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government promised a new focus on First Nations grievances after aboriginal leaders voiced their demands in a day of pleas, protests, warnings and high-level meetings around Parliament Hill.

After four hours of talks Friday, First Nations leaders came out of the meeting with a pledge from Harper for talks on treaty relationships and comprehensive claims.

Harper also promised to put an “enhanced oversight” on aboriginal issues in his office and the Privy Council Office, the powerful bureaucratic wing of the PMO. That could mean a more active role for the government’s top offices in resolving troublesome issues on the file.

And Harper and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo will meet again in the coming weeks to put “some precision” on the issues agreed on Friday.

Atleo, who came under sharp criticism from other chiefs for even meeting with Harper, voiced some optimism after the session wrapped up.

“We have achieved some movement today,” Atleo said in a statement. “The Prime Minister listened respectfully to the Chiefs and responded to all they brought forward and for the first time, provided a clear mandate for high-level talks on treaty implementation. Prime Minister Harper also committed to high-level discussions on comprehensive claims.”

The meeting took place against a backdrop of rising tensions within the First Nations community, giving rise to the Idle No More movement, which has blocked highways and rail lines in recent weeks to press for action on their priorities.

Indeed, the high stakes of Friday’s meeting was driven home by several thousand people who gathered for a boisterous demonstration across the street in front of the parliament buildings.

In a statement, Harper’s office said the “government remains committed to ongoing dialogue on aboriginal issues and to taking achievable steps that will provide better outcomes in First Nations communities.”

“Everyone came to this meeting knowing we’re not going to solve everything in one go. The key is to have our commitment to work with each other,” said an official present at the meeting.

He described the tone as “very civil, very productive.”

But “that’s not to say any punches were pulled . . . it was a very frank discussion and there was a sense of urgency to it,” the official said.

However, Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan told reporters the Conservative government will not give in to demands to reconsider the parts of the omnibus budget implementation bills C-38 and C-45 the Assembly of First Nations argued contravene their treaty and inherent rights. The legislation streamlines regulations governing environmental protection, a shift that aboriginals see as an attack on their land and livelihoods, and was an impetus for the grassroots and growing Idle No More movement.

“We are quite comfortable that we have met our constitutional obligations with those bills and we believe there is every reason to proceed,” Duncan said.

Duncan said the government realizes that giving native bands access to resource royalties is part of any discussion about improving economic conditions for First Nations. But any changes will have to be discussed with the provinces, which have jurisdiction over resources, he noted.

There were sharp divides among First Nations leaders whether Atleo should even attend the meeting with Harper. Instead, they wanted the prime minister and Gov. Gen. David Johnston to meet on their terms.

Championing that position was Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, who has been on a hunger strike to force that meeting. However, in a surprise move, she left her wooden enclosure on Victoria Island, where she has spent the past month avoiding solid foods, to join other chiefs for meeting with Johnston at Rideau Hall Friday evening.

Spence had refused to participate in the Harper meeting if Johnston did not attend.

“It’s nation-to-nation with the chiefs, to have this meeting with the prime minister and the Governor General,” explained Spence, who is continuing to survive on broth and tea.

Spence joined a group of her fellow chiefs at a downtown Ottawa hotel before heading to Rideau Hall for the evening meeting described by officials as “ceremonial.” Looking frail and tired, she walked gingerly with the help of several handlers.

At one point, she stood briefly in a room full of chiefs, wearing a headdress, to be feted by a group of aboriginal drummers. Her health, however, is seriously diminished, said spokesman Danny Metatawabin, who admitted surprise at her appearance at the hotel, The Canadian Press reported.

“She’s tired, she’s weak. She’s weakening. Got cramps in her stomach. We’re all praying for her,” Metatawabin said. “The body’s stressed right now because of all the commotion of today.”

In his comments to the chiefs at Rideau Hall, Johnston expressed a “special welcome” to Spence and voiced worries about her health along with the health of two others also on a hunger strike.

“My deepest wish is for the well-being of all Canadians, and for dialogue to always take place in a safe and healthy manner,” Johnston said, according to a text of his remarks.

Johnston conceded, “There remains much hard work to be done.

“I am confident that by working together in a spirit of respect, we can create the conditions in which aboriginal and non-aboriginal people can thrive equally, according to their hopes and dreams,” he said.

Later, a group of chiefs, including Spence, said they walked out of the Rideau Hall meeting, feeling snubbed and complaining that traditional symbols like the wampum belt had been disrespected.

“Before the closing ceremonies we had to walk out . . . because somehow it felt like a show, a picture opportunity,” Metatawabin told several hundred supporters later at an Ottawa hotel.

“What’s happening here is not done yet. It’s not over yet,” Metatawabin said. “Sadly, the hunger strike continues. I didn’t feel that honour. I didn’t feel that privilege.”

With some angry chiefs threatening widespread disruption of roads and rail traffic, the federal government’s efforts to respond to the growing aboriginal protest movement has taken on added urgency.

The question is whether Friday’s outcome would be enough to head off an outpouring of civil disobedience by Idle No More supporters.

Grand Chief Derek Nepinak from Manitoba, who boycotted the meeting, warned that aboriginals are in a position to bring the Canadian economy to its knees.

“There is a great power that’s emerging once again. The warrior spirit of our people is once again across the land — it’s very strong,” Nepinak said.

Nepinak told CBC-TV aboriginals are peace-loving but, unless their demands are addressed, “at some point the energy and power of our young people will start to spill over the political boundaries we’ve tried to create.”

The Idle No More movement has staged blockades of highways and rail lines in recent weeks and plans to step up its protests with a day of national action on Jan. 16.

In a possible preview Friday, natives blocked the Canadian National rail line between Halifax and Truro in Nova Scotia. And demonstrations by natives and non-native sympathizers were held in Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary and other cities. Idle No More protesters even showed up outside the Canadian High Commission in London, England.

Duncan spoke with uncommonly plain language when asked the big question that many Canadians — and the First Nations establishment — will no doubt be mulling over the weekend: does he have confidence the outcome of the meeting will head off disruptive protests?

“I have no idea what it will do,” Duncan said.

The meeting with Harper exposed sharp divisions among aboriginal leaders. Like Spence, Ontario and Manitoba chiefs refused to attend because they say it’s pointless without the Governor General as a representative of the Crown that signed treaties with natives here in the 18th century.

But about 20 leaders from British Columbia, Nova Scotia and other provinces attended, including Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come of Quebec and Atleo, the AFN leader. In doing so, Atleo defied strong pressure from some chiefs not to meet with the prime minister and natives said his leadership of the AFN may be challenged as a result.

Besides Harper and Duncan, the government contingent included Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq and Treasury Board Minister Tony Clement.