First Nations leaders debate Trudeau commitment to Indigenous rights
The Trudeau government’s commitment to finding new ways to recognize and strengthen Indigenous rights faces a major litmus test as the Assembly of First Nations annual special assembly examines several pieces of federal legislation that deal with restoring and promoting Indigenous rights and languages.
Assembly Chief Perry Bellegarde says chiefs and elders will be able to find out more details about the progress of the legislation, ask questions and provide input.
“We have forged many avenues and created many opportunities to make progress, but we also need time for questions, time for you to work out the details as First Nations, time to make sure things are going in the right direction,’’ Bellegarde told the participants on Tuesday.
A key focus of the assembly is the rights recognition and implementation framework, announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in February.
Bellegarde says there is hope the new framework could be a turning point towards significant
progress in recognition of Indigenous rights and title and in fixing Canadian laws, policies and practices.
But questions remain on how this framework will be structured, how it will impact treaties, bands and reserves and how it will fit with the federal government’s stated
intention to “move beyond the Indian Act.’’
“Recognition of our inherent right to self-determination — that’s what we’ve got to get to. That policy is so important,’’ he said.
Sessions are scheduled to examine the progress of several pieces of legislation,
including: the Indigenous Languages Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Cannabis Act, environmental and regulatory reviews and Bill C-262, a private member’s bill that aims to ensure Canada’s laws are in harmony with the United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples.