Indigenous Rights: U.S. and Canada's Path to Reconciliation

Assimilationist policies and practices, like the residential school system that ran for more than one hundred years (the last government run school closed in the late 1990s), have deprived Indigenous people of their rights in this country for a long time. Canada admitted that these wrongs were done through a settlement agreement and the creation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We are now on the way to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. What does this mean for the people who work at Global Affairs Canada (GAC)? GAC is in charge of Canada's diplomatic relations and promoting the country's interests and ideals around the world. How can we get rid of old assimilationist policies and programs that have caused racism, discrimination, and social shame against Indigenous people? The first step is for employees to understand that the Canadian Government had a part in the country's colonial past and now has a duty to work for systemic change. But this isn't enough; real, actionable steps are needed. That's why, in June 2021, GAC released its Action Plan on Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

Over the next four years, from 2021 to 2025

The department will follow the Action Plan to improve the rights, views, and well-being of Indigenous people in Canada and around the world. A lot of people from the department's Indigenous Peoples Network, other Indigenous workers, and 35 divisions across GAC worked together on it. For instance, the department is making rules to help Indigenous companies and communities benefit from the chances that come with trading with other countries. This was recently shown by Canada's support for IPETCA, which stands for the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement. This is the first global trade deal that recognizes and helps Indigenous companies and entrepreneurs. People who work at GAC looked at success and results from the action plan's first year of activities in June of this year. The growth and results show that the department wants to improve and align its programs so that they can better help, work with, and learn from Indigenous people. This is a good start, but we know that putting the action plan into motion will be hard work. Many of us at GAC are learning new things. With Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation coming up on September 30, there are many chances for people to learn about and honor the cultures, experiences, and stories of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. The Canadian government wants to make peace with Indigenous peoples by rebuilding relationships between nations, between governments, and between the Inuit and the Crown. These relationships should be based on respect, cooperation, and partnership, with rights being respected and rights being respected as the basis for transformative change. The Crown has a special constitutional connection with indigenous people.

Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes and upholds this relationship

Which includes Aboriginal and treaty rights that are already in place. It says that Indigenous nations will be able to join Confederation as partners as long as there is fair and just peace between Indigenous peoples and the Crown. Section 35 also lists all of these rights. The government knows that Indigenous self-government and laws are important for Canada's future and that Indigenous rights and views must be taken into account in every part of this relationship. In this way, we will speed up the end of colonialism wherever it still shows up in our laws and policies and continue the process of liberation. For the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to be put into action, the Government's relationship with Indigenous peoples needs to change in big ways. The UN Declaration lists the individual and collective rights that Indigenous peoples around the world need to survive, live with honor, and be healthy. The government must do its part to make sure that these rights are respected. The government will follow through on its promise to adopt the UN Declaration by reviewing laws and policies and taking part in other joint projects and actions. This method fits with the UN Declaration, which says that different steps can be taken by different states to implement it. The review of laws and policies will be based on Principles that show respect for the relationship between the Canadian government and Indigenous people. The UN Declaration, Section 35, the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP), and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)'s Calls to Action all shaped these Principles. They also show a dedication to honesty, the rule of law, freedom, fairness, not discriminating, and security for human rights. They will help guide the work that needs to be done to keep the government's promise to rebuild ties between nations, between governments, and between the Crown and the Inuit. These Principles are a place to start working to end the rejection of Indigenous rights that led to policies and practices that took away their power and made them more like everyone else.

They want to fix a relationship that has been troubled for a long time by pushing for basic changes that will help Indigenous people live in stronger

Healthier communities where their cultures can thrive. To make this change, it is acknowledged that Indigenous countries are self-determining, self-governing, and becoming more and more self-sufficient. They also want to stop being pushed to the edges of society and controlled by the Indian Act and other similar laws. The Canadian government knows that strong Indigenous cultural traditions and customs, such as languages, are important for rebuilding Indigenous countries. To make sure that there is no discrimination, equality, or injustice in the future, the different needs and experiences of Indigenous women and girls must be taken into account as part of this rebuilding. No matter where Indigenous peoples live, their rights will be respected. These Principles should be read as a whole, along with the comments that goes with them. The Canadian Government knows that these Principles will be understood and used in different ways when dealing with First Nations, the Métis Nation, and the Inuit. They will also be used in different situations. The Crown needs to start working with Indigenous peoples by agreeing to these Principles. They are a big step away from the way things are now and toward a basic change in how they relate to Indigenous peoples. To move toward and establish ties based on recognition, both the federal government and Indigenous peoples will need to be creative and quick to act. Following these Principles is a first step toward giving a new partnership meaning.