Call for Minister of Justice to Not Exclude Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) from Equitable Access to Rights

June 21, 2023 5:16 PM EDT | Source: Congress of Aboriginal Peoples

Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 21, 2023) - Today, CAP has issued a letter to the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, expressing concerns over the exclusion of the inclusive Indigenous community in the tabling of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) Action Plan in Parliament on the eve of National Indigenous Peoples Day.

The letter highlights that the UNDA Action Plan, released on June 20th, completely disregards the content provided by CAP and perpetuates the government's political distinctions-based approach, as well as its colonial and assimilationist policies that undermine the objectives of UNDRIP.

Additionally, the letter asserts that this exclusion is an "attempt to further colonize and assimilate our communities, who represent all Aboriginal distinctions, including off-reserve status and non-status Indians, Métis, and Southern Inuit Indigenous peoples." It urges the government to:

  • Uphold the rights of CAP's communities and ensure equitable access to the measures outlined in the UNDA Action Plan.
  • Take action on all measures provided by CAP and its communities that were not included in the final UNDA Action Plan.
  • Ensure the inclusion of off-reserve status and non-status Indians, Métis, and Southern Inuit Indigenous peoples in the establishment of independent mechanisms for Indigenous rights monitoring, oversight, recourse, or remedy.

Furthermore, CAP calls on the Minister to include the group in the establishment of the Action Plan Advisory Committee (APAC), which will be responsible for implementing the shared priorities of the action plan. It emphasizes the importance of avoiding a repetition of systemic discrimination, as witnessed during the proceedings of Bill C-29 and the creation of the National Council for Reconciliation.

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The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples represents the interests of Métis, status and non-status Indians, and Southern Inuit Indigenous People living off-reserve. Currently, over 70% of Indigenous people reside off-reserve.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Jessica Dawson, CAP Executive Manager and Communications
Mobile: 613-806-8669
Email: J.Dawson@abo-peoples.org

Hana Sabah
hana@impactcanada.com | 514-843-8841

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170872

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