Rights Expert Attacks Imposed Indian Act Changes

Rights Expert Attacks Imposed Indian Act Changes

Tuesday, June 02, 2009 at 14:02

An Indigenous rights expert told a group of senators this morning that she’s concerned about Canadian government officials making changes to the Indian Act without first engaging First Nations on the issue of self-government.

Wendy Cornet expressed the opinion during hearings by a Senate committee reviewing issues around band elections that are governed by the Indian Act.

Cornet says First Nations continue to be asked periodically to accept federal legislative interventions as “a temporary measure pending self-government.”

She sees a pattern of incremental attempts to implement changes to the Indian Act, without the government providing a forum in which to discuss larger policy issues.

Cornet says the federal government and First Nations leaders “repeatedly find themselves in deadlock” when trying to determine which legislative and policy changes must be addressed.