Victoria – On the heels of the discovery of 215 bodies on a Kamloops Residential School site, and calls for investigation of sites at St. Mary’s and Coqualeetza comes the motion that the provincial government is asking Indigenous peoples for additional feedback on the draft action plan required under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
“British Columbia made history when we became the first jurisdiction in Canada to adopt the United Nations (UN) Declaration, but passing this legislation was only one step on our journey to advance reconciliation and undo 150 years of colonial harms that continue to be felt to this day,” said Premier John Horgan.
The consultation draft of the action plan identifies 79 specific actions developed in partnership by the Province, First Nations and Indigenous peoples to help advance the human rights of Indigenous peoples.
The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act requires the provincial government to develop and implement an action plan in consultation and co-operation with Indigenous peoples. Ministries across government have been engaging with First Nations and Indigenous partners over the past year to develop the draft action plan. Feedback collected between now and July 31, 2021, will be used to finalize the action plan later this year.
