Today marks 10 years since Canada formally endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (“UNDRIP”).
UNDRIP recognizes and affirms, among other things, the rights of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination and self-governance. It continues to shape the work we do alongside Indigenous governments and communities.
Over the past decade, there has been important progress – including BC’s adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act “(DRIPA”) and the federal UNDRIP Act, as well as growing recognition of Indigenous rights, title and legal orders across Canada. But recent political developments, including threats to amend or repeal DRIPA, are a reminder that this progress cannot be taken for granted, and there is still a long way to go when it comes to meaningfully upholding and implementing Indigenous rights in practice.