‘EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH AND I DON’T WANT TO LET PEOPLE DOWN’
Since receiving his mandate letter from Premier John Horgan, Scott Fraser, the new minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation has been busy. “It’s been frantic, and exciting and a little scary too. It’s a big ministry as far as the mandate, and I’m so excited to take on this part of reconciliation.”
Q Why are you the right person to serve as minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation?
A I’ve been an opposition member for 12 years and almost all of those years I have been critic or spokesperson for Aboriginal relations and reconciliation. An important part of this portfolio is longevity, to put the time in, to build strong relationships and trust. When John Horgan asked me to take this on, it was with that in mind. In the ’90s I was mayor of Tofino in Nuu-chah-nulth territory. I sat on the Clayoquot Sound Central Region board. The makeup was 10 members, five appointed by Nuuchah-nulth chiefs and five non-First Nations representatives. It was a government-to-government relationship. Every resource issue that came into Clayoquot Sound went before that board. If I have any wisdom, I picked it up there. I remember sitting with hereditary Chief Earl Maquinna George, who egged me on to learn a piece of wisdom: Hishuk ish tsawalk. It means all things are one. Everything is connected.
Q What does reconciliation mean to you?
A Recognizing past injustices, and in so doing, getting beyond them, atoning for them and addressing them. I attended many of the heart-wrenching sessions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and we’ve got mechanisms now, the UN declaration and the TRC’s Calls to Action, and we are committed to incorporating all of those philosophies into our government as a way of moving forward.
Q How do you plan to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that mandates “free, prior and informed consent” from First Nations on legislation and economic projects that affect them as well as the Calls to Action of the TRC?
A That will be done with First Nations. We need to have some deliverables, and a way of monitoring that we are progressing. We don’t have a process in place yet. This will be done together, in partnership with First Nations.
Q Premier Horgan promises a “cross-government” approach to the implementation process. What does that mean?
A Hishuk ish tsawalk. All things are connected. Part of this is breaking down the barriers between ministries. When decisions are made in ministries outside of my ministry, it may have an effect or an unknown consequence on First Nations, so working across ministries is a way of trying to remedy that. We are all learning to be mindful as ministers of working closely with First Nations. We have a chance to show the country, and the rest of the world that we can do it, and show that it’s of benefit to all British Columbians.
Q How will you address inequities in delivery of health services, child welfare and education in Indigenous communities?
A We are trying to find ways to address the inequities, to enhance and support First Nations in their culture, their languages, and address the high rates of attempted suicide. We have to provide hope and resources. Sharing gaming revenues is part of that, addressing the loss of languages, and supporting friendship centres.
Q What kind of partnerships will you be seeking to bring Indigenous leadership into the policy development that will ensure these changes?
A I’m going to have a nation-tonation government as minister and work closely with First Nations governments, communities and organizations. We will be at the First Nations Leadership gathering in September and this is our chance to lay our platform out, to ask for help and set up those organizational structures so we can make this happen.
Q How will implementation of the UN declaration change development and environmental policy in the province?
A We need to make sure that First Nations are meaningful partners in projects, not having major projects dropped on them mid-stream. “Free, prior and informed consent” is about being inclusive. The information has to flow from the beginning with respect and recognition.
Q How are you going to meet your mandate to transform the treaty process?
A The process needed to evolve to capture the case law, the landmark court decisions and the UN declarations. I believe there are many First Nations that didn’t enter the process because it failed to evolve in any meaningful way. I will be meeting with the First Nations Summit, and the treaty commissioners and I will be soliciting their help.
Q How can you bring nonIndigenous communities into the reconciliation process?
A The K-12 education system needs to incorporate the true history of our relations. The true history of what happened with our colonial past has to be recognized. This is a key recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and we are committed to that.
Q What do you anticipate are your greatest challenges moving forward?
A These are ambitious goals, expectations are high and I don’t want to let people down. That’s the thing that wakes me up at night sometimes.
Q What are you most looking forward to?
A Working closely with First Nations and showing the world what we can do as a province with true reconciliation at our fingertips.