Bill C-15 & Indigenous Relations

In this summer season, the BC Legislative Assembly has risen and will resume sitting in October. The Members of the Legislative Assembly are back in their ridings partaking in constituency work, and opportunities to connect or meet with them during this time are more feasible, than when the House is sitting.

Recently, in order to advance reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and governments in Canada, The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda supported Bill C-15, an Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Right of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Commissioner Tidd sent a letter to Senators urging them to support the Bill and as well we advocated through our participation in the Canadian Council of Churches’ Commission on Justice and Peace, which wrote to the federal Minister of Justice and other federal politicians. This bill basically would require the federal government to develop a framework and action plan to implement UNDRIP. Although UNDRIP as such does not apply directly to The Salvation Army, we can demonstrate our commitment to reconciliation by supporting the principles of UNDRIP and striving to act in accordance with them.

Along the same lines, at the recommendation of our Truth and Reconciliation Working Group, the Territorial Commander wrote to Association of First Nations Chief Perry Bellegarde to request a meeting and invite a conversation about how we can come alongside and support First Nations. The answer seemed to suggest we could come alongside First Nations by respecting their rights and self-determination and supporting them in their desire to secure funding for Indigenous-specific and Indigenous-led health and social services.

This is an area that we will likely focus on in the fall meetings of the THQ Public Policy Working Group.