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NDP MP Romeo Saganash – Abitibi, James Bay, Nunavik, Eeyou – introduced his private member’s bill, Bill C-262, to the House of Commons on April 21, 2016. Bill C-262 is one of the most important Bills before Parliament, and the fate of this proposed legislation will have far-reaching impacts on Canada’s reconciliation efforts.
The Bill, which will require conforming Canada’s legislation with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), is a tall order. Among other things, UNDRIP: C
The UNDRIP, therefore, requires Canada to recognize and respect the unique places and circumstances of Indigenous peoples in Canadian society and government.
Free, prior and informed consent is a powerful right that will affect the authority of the state to make decisions that may impact Indigenous peoples. How decisions are to be made in an UNDRIP-conforming governance structure is unclear. Ending the cultural genocide requires extensive legislative amendments and the establishment of many modern treaties. Protecting Indigenous women and children from violence will likely be costly and require systemic changes to state institutions new and old.
Implementing UNDRIP and ensuring that the laws of Canada respect the Declaration will be a long and difficult road, but this is a necessary road on the way to reconciliation. That these processes will at times be painful, adversarial and expensive is no excuse to shy away from the demands of justice and human rights.
Bill C-262 is one step on a long journey toward a better Canadian society – a society in which respect for the sphere of traditional government is on par with federal and provincial spheres. Taking on this défi national requires conviction and strength and it is a challenge that the political leaders in Canada may not have the character to wrestle honestly; however, in the approach to Bill C-262, it is vital that Parliament appreciate the weight of these matters.
Full implementation of UNDRIP will constitute one of the greatest leaps toward reconciliation in Canadian history and significantly address the multitude of mechanisms that marginalize Indigenous peoples and that subject Indigenous women and children to poverty and violence. Denying Indigenous peoples the rights to which they are entitled at international law will perpetuate the marginalization of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada and obstruct the fair allocation of weights on the scales of Canadian justice for generation to come.
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For information, or to arrange an interview, contact:
Laurel Sallie
laurel@sparkadvocacy.ca
+1 (905) 751-6370
Pour obtenir plus d’information ou prendre des dispositions pour une interview, contacter:
Laurel Sallie
laurel@sparkadvocacy.ca
+1 (905) 751-6370
About The Native Women’s Association of Canada
The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) is a National Indigenous Organization representing the political voice of Indigenous women, girls, transgender, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people in Canada, inclusive of First Nations on and off reserve, status and non-status, disenfranchised, Métis and Inuit. An aggregate of Indigenous women’s organizations from across the country, NWAC was founded on the collective goal to enhance, promote and foster the social, economic, cultural and political well-being of Indigenous women within their respective communities and Canada societies.
À propos de l'Association des femmes autochtones du Canada
L'Association des femmes autochtones du Canada (AFAC) est une organisation autochtone nationale qui représente la voix politique des femmes, des filles, des transgenres, des bispirituels et des personnes de sexe différent au Canada, y compris les membres des Premières nations vivant dans les réserves et hors réserve, les Indiens inscrits et non inscrits, les personnes privées de leurs droits, les Métis et les Inuits. Regroupant des organisations de femmes autochtones de tout le pays, l'AFAC a été fondée dans le but collectif d'améliorer, de promouvoir et de favoriser le bien-être social, économique, culturel et politique des femmes autochtones au sein de leurs communautés respectives et des sociétés canadiennes.