Within the first year of its mandate, Justin Trudeau’s minority Liberal government will introduce a law to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the government said in [December 5th's] throne speech.

See below for the portions of the Speech from the Throne that speak to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

Speech from the Throne

Her Excellency the Governor General was then pleased to open the First Session of the Forty-third Parliament with the following speech.

The Right Honourable Julie Payette: 

Honourable Senators,

Members of the House of Commons,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to address this first session of Canada’s 43rd Parliament. I would like to welcome the 98 new members of this assembly and to welcome back returning members.

Your predecessors first sat in Parliament in November 1867. Canada was barely five months old. On the scale of world history, we are still very young. Yet much has happened in the world since then. We have matured, and we are here — strong and free. There has been no civil war, no foreign armies marching on our soil. There have been agreements and differences along the way, and lots of arguments, yes, most of them delivered with much eloquence in this very chamber.

There are many reasons for our stability. First, the millions of us, whether we are from here or chose to come and live here, we share the same desire. We wish to live freely and in peace and harmony. This quest is a bedrock of our nation and informs almost everything we do. We may differ in many ways, yet we move forward as if we were one people, looking for equal opportunities and common ground. This is not by accident, but by choice. It is who we are.

And remember, as well, that our fortunes have relied often on the knowledge and the strategies of the Indigenous Peoples — what I call Indigenous genius, that allowed this nation to thrive. Their deep understanding of our natural world, their intense sense of community, should continue to affect what we do here.

For the good of our communities and the future of our children.

Kkidji mkwènimaganiwiwatch missiwè anichinapèk achitch nigan abinoudjichak kè pimadiziwatch.

Reconciliation must continue....

WALKING THE ROAD OF RECONCILIATION

Every single person in Canada deserves a real and fair chance at success — and that must include Indigenous people.

In 2015, the Government promised a new relationship with Indigenous Peoples — one that would help deliver a better quality of life for their families and communities.

Real progress has been made over the past four years, including the elimination of 87 long-term drinking water advisories, equity in funding for First Nations K-12 education, the passage of historic legislation to protect Indigenous languages and affirm Indigenous jurisdiction over child and family services, and the completion of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

But we know there is still much work to do.

Reconciliation with Indigenous people remains a core priority for this Government, and it will continue to move forward as a partner on the journey of reconciliation. Indeed, when Indigenous people experience better outcomes, all Canadians benefit.

Among other things, the Government will:

•take action to co-develop and introduce legislation to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the first year of the new mandate;

•continue the work of eliminating all long-term drinking water advisories on reserve by 2021, and ensure safe drinking water in First Nations communities;

•co-develop new legislation to ensure that Indigenous people have access to high-quality, culturally relevant health care and mental health services;

•continue work to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls for Justice, in partnership with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples;

•work with Indigenous communities to close the infrastructure gap by 2030;

•continue to move forward together to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are in control of their own destiny and making decisions about their communities;

•take new steps to ensure the Government is living up to the spirit and intent of treaties, agreements, and other constructive arrangements made with Indigenous Peoples;

•ensure that Indigenous people who were harmed under the discriminatory child welfare system are compensated in a way that is both fair and timely; and

•continue to invest in Indigenous priorities, in collaboration with Indigenous partners.

The path to reconciliation is long. But in its actions and interactions the Government will continue to walk it with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. 

When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada concluded its work almost four years ago, it provided a road map for Canadians to follow. That road map, the 94 Calls to Action, aims to “revitalize the relationship between Aboriginal Peoples and Canadian society” after more than 100 years of the traumatic and systemic removal of Indigenous children from their families.

Call No. 43 underpinned all others, according to the commission. The commission urged federal, provincial and territorial governments to fully implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. They called it “the framework” for all reconciliation measures “at all levels and across all sectors of society.”

It’s extremely rare for international human rights standards to even be mentioned in the Canadian policy debate. However, when Canada voted against the declaration in 2007 at the United Nations, it was the first time that Canada had ever stood in opposition to an international human rights standard.

It remains today the only international human rights standard in Canada up for debate. [To continue reading this article by Sheryl Lightfoot, please click here—The Road to Reconciliation]

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and numerous reports by international human rights bodies have all documented the profound and tragic harms that have resulted from Canada’s colonial laws and policies. Ongoing adverse impacts include denial of Indigenous systems of governance, jurisdiction and laws; dispossession of lands, territories and resources; the ongoing tragedy of Indigenous lives brutally cut short; essential opportunities denied to Indigenous children and youth; and the lack of adequate financial and other assistance to maintain and revitalize Indigenous cultures, traditions and languages in the face of continued threats.

All these bodies have called on federal and other governments to heal the harm and build positive relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.  Canada must act now to fully safeguard and implement the fundamental human rights and protections affirmed in the United Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

In the last session of Parliament, Senate filibustering prevented the passage of Bill C-262, a private member’s Bill that would have established a legislative framework to guide the work of implementing the Declaration. This was despite the fact that Bill C-262 had been debated and adopted by the House of Commons in 2018 and that all parties in the House had subsequently joined in a unanimous, non-partisan motion calling on the Senate to pass Bill C-262 into law.

While our Nations and organizations were profoundly disappointed that the opportunity to adopt this crucial legislation was so cavalierly squandered, an important foundation has been established. The next session of Parliament must build on this foundation by prioritizing the earliest possible adoption of government legislation that fully reflects or exceeds Bill C-262. Key elements would include:

• Repudiation of colonial laws, policies and doctrines.
• A commitment to work collaboratively with Indigenous peoples in every aspect of implementation of the Declaration.
• A process to reform federal laws, policies and regulations to ensure they meet or exceed the minimum standards set out in the Declaration.
• A commitment to develop a national action plan for collaborative implementation of the Declaration’s provisions.
• A requirement for regular reporting to Parliament so that there is transparency and accountability for the progress made.

The Declaration was adopted by the UN General Assembly 12 years ago, on September 13, 2007. The Declaration’s provisions reflect the way that existing human rights protections, including legally binding international treaties, have been interpreted and applied by international and regional human rights bodies. In other words, Canada’s obligation to respect, protect and fulfill the rights affirmed in the Declaration is well-established and concrete measures to implement these provisions are long overdue.

The Declaration is not abstract or merely aspirational. It affirms the minimum standards urgently needed to address and heal the harms inflicted on Indigenous peoples by a long history of racist and discriminatory laws, policies, and practices.

2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languages. In this important year, we can look to the Declaration for guidance on language rights:

Article 13 affirms the right of Indigenous peoples to “revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their histories, language, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures and to designate and retain their own names for communities, places and persons.” Article 14 states that “Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.” The Declaration also calls on states to take effective measures, including through funding and other assistance, to ensure the “full realization” of these rights.

This is merely one example of using the Declaration effectively to guide the promotion and protection of Indigenous peoples’ human rights.

Accordingly, our Nations and Organizations are calling on all candidates in the federal election to commit to:

1. Supporting the earliest possible adoption of a federal legislative framework for implementation of the Declaration that, at a minimum, provides the essential implementation measures set out in C-262
2. Advocating for adequate, sustained funding for Indigenous peoples’ organizations, including cultural centres working at the community level, to support, reclaim, revitalize and maintain Indigenous languages.

The Coalition for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples (www.declarationcoaliton.ca)

This statement was endorsed by the following organizations and individuals:

Amnesty International Canada / Amnistie Internationale Canada

Assembly of First Nations

Assemblée des Premières Nations du Québec et Labrador / Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador

BC Assembly of First Nations

Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)

First Nations Summit

Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee)

Indigenous-Settler Relations, Mennonite Church Canada

Indigenous World Association

KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives

Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs

Dr. Sheryl Lightfoot, Canada Research Chair of Global Indigenous Rights and Politics, University of British Columbia

Dr. Wilton Littlechild, IPC, former TRC Commissioner. 

Dr. Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine, Expert Member, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

For more information on implementation of the UN Declaration, please see our factsheets at Declaration Coalition.

• Interpreting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Myths and Misrepresentations about the UN Declaration and Bill C-262
• Free, Prior and Informed Consent FAQ

Few people are in greater need of human rights protection than Indigenous peoples. Globally, about 370 million Indigenous people face widespread systemic discrimination, impoverishment, ill health, and dispossession of their lands and resources. Although governments have a duty and responsibility to ensure the welfare and safety of all their citizens, Indigenous peoples are often subject to policies that erode or suppress their rights and distinct cultural identities. Canada is no exception. 

Legislation based on the UN Declaration is critical for reconciliation in Canada.   

Questions for Candidates: 

• Will you commit to the implementation of the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada by supporting a government bill as strong as Bill C-262? 
• How do you plan to support local First Nation, Métis or Inuit communities?  
• How will you create positive change for Indigenous communities? 
• How do you plan to empower Indigenous peoples in Canada? 

To read more, click here KAIROS ELECTION RESOURCE.