First Nations leaders in British Columbia have issued a joint statement criticizing calls to amend the provincial Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in response to a recent court ruling.
The statement is endorsed by more than 50 First Nations in B.C. and says recent talks of changing legislation are a "fear-based response" from opponents of the ruling "that reaffirm the crucial need to consult and negotiate" with Indigenous communities on mining rights.
It calls for British Columbians to "slow down, take stock, and reflect" on the path forward, noting that resorting to "fear-based reactions" risk undoing hard-won progress on reconciliation.
The statement says changing the legislation would "grind projects to a halt" as First Nations may be forced to defend their rights through the courts.
The statement comes days after Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation chief councillor Chris McKnight warned B.C. Premier David Eby that he risks fuelling racism and losing the trust of the Indigenous community if changes to the act are made.
The B.C. Appeal Court decision on a First Nations challenge of the province's mining tenure system gives effect to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and Eby has said changes to the law may be necessary.
Among those endorsing the latest statement calling for B.C. to think carefully about changing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act are the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and the First Nations Summit.
The statement says the court decision affirms the need to consult and negotiate with First Nations, but a negative narrative has begun to take hold.
"This narrative wrongly blames First Nations for uncertainty, while ignoring the historical reality that British Columbia was largely settled without treaties. It replaces facts and experience with fear, and co-operation with division," the statement says.
"We call on Premier Eby to uphold the Declaration Act, resist calls to amend it or pursue appeals, and to sit down with Indigenous leadership to continue the work of building certainty, trust, and economic prosperity for everyone in British Columbia."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
