WHEREAS the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, well-being and rights of the world’s indigenous people;
AND WHEREAS the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples addresses individual and collective rights; identifies rights to education, health, employment, and language; outlaws discrimination against indigenous people; ensures their right to remain distinct and to pursue their own priorities in economic, social, and cultural development; and encourages harmonious and co-operative relations between States and indigenous people;
AND WHEREAS Canada and the members of the United Nations Human Rights Council took a leadership role within the Commission on Human Rights that drafted the declaration over the past 20 years;
AND WHEREAS, on September 13, 2007, the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by a vast majority vote of 143;
AND WHEREAS Canada was one of only four countries that voted against the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
AND WHEREAS the declaration is now an international legal instrument;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member from Mackenzie Delta, that this Legislative Assembly recognizes and supports the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as an international legal instrument;
AND FURTHER, that this Legislative Assembly strongly urges the Government of Canada to respect and honour the decision of the international community in adopting the declaration;
FURTHERMORE, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories formerly request the Government of Canada to reverse its current position and support the declaration.
The rights of indigenous people throughout this world have always been foremost in many, many different Legislative Assemblies and many, many different political arenas, all because the rights of kings were the rule of the day back hundreds and hundreds of years ago when people were conquering lands. They believed it was divine right that they were able to conquer the lands and the people who were on those lands. It was a concept that they used way back in the conquering days, Mr. Speaker.
Now we’re much wiser, and we’re much more learned people. If you understand that the people who occupied their land — where they lived from time immemorial — it’s being recognized slowly that they’re the original people who lived there, and that’s their land.
In fact, the basic tenet of our law is that it’s 9/10 about property. And that’s what it is. The original inhabitants who lived on the land — that was their land. Only today are we starting to recognize that and affirm those rights. In fact, Canada is working towards that. It is my belief that this United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples would have taken one further step and would continue to reaffirm those rights for all aboriginal people throughout this world and throughout this land.
I know Canada was working hard with the United Nations, trying to get the wording and the text just right. Canada actually voted against the motion that they helped draft, only because they believed that it might have gone too far in that Canada would have to recognize excessive rights for aboriginal people.
I don’t believe anything is excessive rights. I believe that the rights of aboriginal people to own land, to be self-sufficient and self-reliant is inherent. That’s something that the Government of Canada has always believed in anyway. So I’m not quite sure about that.
I think that it begins now. It begins by the grassroots people having good, healthy discussions and debates in forums such as this. I believe we can make our way back up to the Canadian government and let them know that it’s something that’s important to all the political bodies here in Canada, and especially here in the Northwest Territories, that truly we’re a global village. Here’s our opportunity to say that our aboriginal rights are just as important, and the Government of Canada should be recognizing it as well.
This motion speaks to that, Mr. Speaker, urging our government and our Assembly to tell the Government of Canada to continue to work with the United Nations and continue to acknowledge and affirm indigenous and aboriginal rights. In fact, Canada should not be voting against issues such as this; they should be championing it, because I do believe that they’re doing their best for the aboriginal people. But now they’ve kind of shot themselves in the foot. Here again, I think there’s opportunity for them to correct it.
I believe that one of the original countries that voted against it was Australia, and we’ve seen what they’ve done. They have a new government in power, and they’ve done an about-face. I believe they’re willing to be a signatory to this Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. And I believe that our Government of Canada can and should do the same.