Bill C-262 – Cree Nation Government Hails Historic Step Towards Justice and Reconciliation

Grand Chief Abel Bosum announced, “This is a historic day! A crucial step has been taken by the House of Commons in voting in favour of this vital Bill. We are deeply grateful to our Member of Parliament, our Nation’s favourite son, Romeo Saganash, for skillfully guiding this human rights legislation through this essential process.”

Bill C-262 establishes a legislative framework to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The UN Declaration is the most comprehensive international human rights instrument that explicitly addresses the rights of Indigenous peoples. To date, the Declaration has been reaffirmed by the UN General Assembly eight times by consensus. No country in the world formally objects to it.

The UN Declaration was adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2007, endorsed by Canada in November 2010, and fully committed to by the Trudeau government in May 2016.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has called on federal, provincial and other governments to implement the UN Declaration as the framework for reconciliation. Bill C-262 sets an important precedent in this regard. The Bill repudiates colonialism and discriminatory doctrines of superiority. It also requires the federal government to engage in collaborative processes with Indigenous peoples. Such processes must ensure that federal laws are consistent with the UN Declaration and to adopt a national action plan to implement this human rights instrument.

The Grand Council of the Crees played an important role over the past 35 years in the development and adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We have achieved another milestone with this legislation.

Grand Chief Bosum’s message to Romeo Saganash on this important achievement, “On behalf of the Eeyou Nation, we congratulate you for your decades of dedication to Indigenous peoples’ human rights and this latest success.”

Bill C-262 has now moved to the Senate under the strong leadership of the distinguished Senator Murray Sinclair, former Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We look forward to the remainder of the journey.

Bill C-262 – CNG Hails Historic Step towards Justice and Reconciliation