More than 100 First Nations and First Nations organizations have signed a joint statement to B.C. Premier David Eby to uphold the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
The Act, DRIPA, was unanimously passed by all parties in the legislature in 2019, with the provincial government stating that “B.C. is the first province to put in place the declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples, to bring the UN declaration into law.”
The government is looking at amending DRIPA after a landmark court ruling in December that determined it was legally enforceable and not just symbolic.
On Dec. 8, the BC Conservatives asked Eby to reconvene the legislature immediately to repeal the act, and Eby said he wants to amend DRIPA, not scrap it, and is in no rush to call back the House before Feb. 18.
On Jan. 29, First Nations say that the province issued a letter of notification regarding potential amendments to the Declaration Act and Interpretation Act anticipated for the spring legislative session and invited First Nations to participate in an expedited consultation and co-operation process, subject to signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
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They said that the First Nations leaders who signed the NDA received materials from the provincial government.
“The province’s actions risk pulling all who call B.C. home back to a time of blame, conflict, increased litigation, and threats of violence against Indigenous peoples,” First Nations said in a statement.
In the joint statement, First Nations say that despite recent court decisions that reaffirm the “crucial need to consult and negotiate, a negative narrative has begun to take hold.”
They said this narrative wrongly blames First Nations for uncertainty, while ignoring the fact that B.C. was largely settled without treaties.
“If allowed to shape public discourse or government decision-making, this narrative risks pulling our province backward — toward a time marked by blame, conflict, increased litigation, and even real threats of violence against Indigenous peoples. That is not a future any of us should accept,” the statement reads.
“Recent calls to amend the Declaration Act or appeal court rulings are rooted in this fear-based response. They suggest that the framework we have built together is the problem, when in fact it has been part of the solution. These actions would not create certainty — they would slow progress, increase litigation, and grind projects to a halt as First Nations are once again forced to defend our rights and interests through the courts.”
First Nations say that B.C. can walk two paths — one of negotiation, collaboration and shared prosperity, or one that leads backward to a place of uncertainty and conflict.
Eby has yet to respond to the statement.
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