Building a new relationship

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has set his government the daunting task of fundamentally changing its relationship with Indigenous Peoples. Achieving that goal will require more than creating his proposed new legal framework. It will mean changing attitudes throughout Canadian society.

The rights of First Nations, Métis and Inuit are enshrined in the Constitution, but over the decades, Indigenous people have had to fight, usually in the courts, to get those rights recognized. Those costly and damaging battles have left people on both sides frustrated and distrustful of each other.

Instead, the government wants to build laws that will make clear everyone’s rights and responsibilities, and solve disputes without resort to the courts. Trudeau wants Indigenous people to escape the paternalistic grip of the Indian Act, which has governed relations since 1876.

Although the government has been working on the concept since before last summer, the details will be settled following consultations across the country.

Removing uncertainty and confrontation from the relationship would help everyone, but giving shape to Trudeau’s plan means delving into almost every area of federal law. Having started down the road, though, Trudeau cannot afford to turn back.

As New Democrat MP Romeo Saganash warned, after generations of broken promises, the effects of breaking this one would be devastating.