Canada’s Liberal leader says the Indian Act is horribly out of date and needs to be rewritten, but he says it should be done with care and accountability.
This morning, Bob Rae introduced a motion in the House of Commons designed to do just that.
Rae’s motion calls for a “nation-to-nation” process, to begin within three months of the motion passing.
He says the Indian Act would be replaced with new agreements based on constitutional and treaty rights and United Nations standards.
Rae’s motion sets out a two-year time frame for the work to be completed.
He says there needs to be a process enshrined in legislation that sets out how the Act will be changed, and that process must involve the Aboriginal community.
The FSIN has expressed “deep concerns” about the Harper government’s support of northern Saskatchewan MP Rob Clarke’s private member’s bill to amend and replace the Act.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan has said the Tory government supports Clarke’s bill in principle, and will be “exploring opportunities to improve it”.
The Indian Act touches every aspect of life on First Nations. It governs everything from education and housing to band governance and operations.
Under the Act, First Nations can not even pass bylaws for their communities without the approval of the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.
The Act also limits how reserve land can be used, and even prevents a reserve resident from writing a will without getting it approved by the Minister.
Residential schools, which ruined lives and destroyed culture and communities, were also created under the Indian Act.