Today marks the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation since the federal government made it a statutory holiday. The last 12 months have borne witness to a series of tragic, and hopeful, moments in Canada’s effort for reconciliation with Indigenous communities. The tragedy and trauma of residential schools were laid bare with the uncovering of mass graves. While for many, the Pope’s apology was a long-coming recognition of past wrongs.
This month also marked another important anniversary: 15 years of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The landmark declaration directs countries to work with Indigenous communities to ensure that their land, cultural and human rights are preserved.
Canada, like other countries with a dark settler colonial history, was initially resistant to the declaration. But, in the years since UNDRIP was adopted, the country has made progress. Last year, the federal government passed legislation designed to bring Canadian law in line with UNDRIP. Canada’s Declaration Act calls on Ottawa to ensure that Canadian laws are consistent with the UN Declaration and to do so in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples. While that signifies a step in the right direction, much more still needs to be done. And experts warn that without proper consultation, the government risks perpetuating a damaging colonial legacy.
Today, in The Conversation Canada, UBC professor Sheryl Lightfoot and Cheryl Knockwood, Chair of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, discuss the vital importance of legislative reform and equal participation in the reconciliation process. The federal government has announced plans to review a host of laws with potentially far-reaching consequences for Indigenous communities. Yet, as Lightfoot and Knockwood explain, there remains little clarity on the role of Indigenous Peoples in the review process.
“Meaningful participation and consent are the minimum standards required of all governments,” they write. “As we mark 15 years of the UN Declaration, the federal government must live up to its principles.”
Also today:
All the best.
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