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| Romeo Saganash and MP Wayne Stetski |
Adopt
and Implement UN Declaration Say Stetski and Saganash
September 7, 2016
Cranbrook – Yesterday MP Wayne Stetski joined with the Ktunaxa Nation to welcome
NDP Critic for Intergovernmental Aboriginal Affairs, Romeo Saganash, to Kootenay-Columbia
to speak about, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples Act.
“Romeo has been fighting tirelessly for the rights of
Indigenous people”, said Stetski, “in addition to his work in Parliament and in
his community, he spent over 20 years negotiating at the United Nations.
I am very pleased he was able to come to the Kootenays to share his passion and
expertise.”
Saganash is visiting communities across the country to
build understanding about the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous People through his private members bill (C-262) that is before
Parliament calling on the government to adopt and implement the
declaration.
“Implementation of the UN Declaration would explicitly
reject colonialism, in favour of justice, equality, respect for human rights
and good faith.” Saganash told the crowd who joined him and Stetski at the
Ktunaxa administration building Tuesday evening. “This bill includes a national
action plan as part of the legislative framework called for by the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission. The national action plan will provide clarity and
highlight the importance of harmonizing federal laws: something that will
facilitate investment and development.”
On 13 September 2007 the UN General Assembly adopted
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This
followed more than twenty years of discussion within the UN system. The text
recognises the wide range of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of
Indigenous peoples.
"The Ktunaxa Nation welcomes and applauds the
life-long work that MP Romeo Saganash has done in first developing the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and since 2011,
advancing his Bill C-262 within Canada” said Darrin Jamieson, Ktunaxa Nation
Council CAO. “This legislation will acknowledge the basic human and
self-determination rights afforded all peoples in this country, now more
clearly to First Nations. We endorse the Bill's intent to recast our
relationship with all levels of government in providing a framework for not
only reconciliation, but partnerships in prosperity moving forward. We hope the
Prime Minister honors his commitment to implement the Declaration as expressed
in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action. Only by working
together can we advance our collective quality of life."
“This is an incredibly important conversation for our
country” said Stetski. “We have heard from the Prime Minister that
implementing the declaration is a top priority for his government, but we have
seen little movement in that direction. The NDP are in full support of moving
this bill forward and want to work with the Government towards reconciliation.”
Romeo Saganash is the MP for Abitibi-Baie
James-Nunavik-Eeyou
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