xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam),
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver,
BC, Sept. 30, 2024 /CNW/ - Today,
Mr. Rustad committed once again to pull the Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act) if
elected.
The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) is astounded that
Mr. Rustad chose to announce his continued crusade to repeal the
Declaration Act on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation of
all days. This "plan" will set us back decades and will continue to
pit First Nations against other British Columbians. This is not
leadership. The FNLC notes that Mr. Rustad's platform includes a
number of things the Eby
government is already working to do: loan guarantees for equity in
natural resource projects; capacity building; treatment and
recovery services; transferring authority over child welfare
services. It also includes a commitment to "strategic land return
to First Nations" and returning 20% of BC's forests to FN to
manage, despite the current government having already transferred
over 20% of forestry tenure to First Nations and set up
collaborative planning through forest landscape planning
tables.
The FNLC is extremely concerned by John
Rustad's ongoing efforts to pit British Columbians against
each other- he showed this with the Haida title bill when he spoke
in favour of the bill and then turned around and voted against it.
The FNLC stresses that the recent years have included extremely
hard work by First Nations and the government to make progress
based on cooperation and working together. We've moved forward on
title recognition, revenue sharing, child and family services,
housing on reserve and in many other ways. We can't go backwards
and undo the Declaration Act, which underpins our current work, and
the years of progress we have made together.
The First Nations Leadership Council is comprised of the
political executives of the BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN),
First Nations Summit (FNS), and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs
(UBCIC).
SOURCE First Nations Summit