Landmark
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- Published on Thursday, 31 October 2019 03:06
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Well, that was quite a week. On the heels of the federal election, there was a monumental moment for Indigenous rights here in British Columbia, with the introduction of a provincial law to implement the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The declaration lays out the right of Indigenous people to have “free, prior and informed consent” over projects in their territories.
We were lucky enough to get an interview with Merle Alexander, an Indigenous lawyer who co-drafted the legislation, and with Jack Woodward, the lawyer who won the Tsilhqot’in title case. They helped us unravel what the new law will mean, if passed.
If you’re still wondering what it looks like when Indigenous laws and provincial laws clash, check out our feature on a sprawling “jade rush” happening right now in northwestern B.C. — against the wishes of the Tahltan Nation.
“They’ve built roads and ripped up a lot of land and forest,” said Tahltan Central Government President Chad Norman Day.
It was a timely turn of events when this week a coalition of groups called on the provincial government to fund Indigenous monitoring of mines in traditional territories.
“We’re saying our communities are right next to these projects. It would make sense that First Nations would perform some of these monitoring and compliance type functions,” said Allen Edzerza, member of the Tahltan First Nation and representative of the First Nations Energy and Mining Council.
That spirit of self-governance and self-determination is available in spades in Heiltsuk territory, where we filmed a video we’re sharing this week about a remarkable cultural resurgence.
Once decimated by smallpox and influenza, the Heiltsuk recently opened their first Big House in 120 years and are in the midst of building a land-based healing centre. Their story of resilience is a welcome antidote to post-election punditry. Keep scrolling for even more of what we’ve been up to this week.
Emma Gilchrist
Editor-in-Chief
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Unravelling B.C.’s landmark legislation on Indigenous rights
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If passed, the new law will make B.C. the first government in Canada to codify the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Once implemented, it will significantly alter the way major resource projects are approached on Indigenous territories. Read more.
‘When are they going to ensure the polluter pays?’: proposed B.C. mining reforms don’t go far enough
By Judith Lavoie
A plan to update the province’s antiquated Mines Act will bring more independent oversight of mines but doesn’t address lax regulations that leave responsibility for clean-up costs, such as in the Mount Polley mine disaster, in the hands of taxpayers. Read more.
Haida Gwaii’s kelp forests disappeared. Here’s how they’re being brought back to life
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A remarkable, collaborative effort to manage traditional food sources off the coast of Haida Gwaii is blending traditional knowledge and Western science to bring better balance to an out-of-whack ecosystem still reeling from the impacts of the fur trade. Read more.
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Despite getting the most number of votes in the Canadian Green Party's history, the 2019 federal election left them with widespread support but not enough seats for official party status. Read more.
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