(Ottawa) The current federal Liberal government is trying to distance itself from the one that allegedly conspired with Australia to weaken the United Nations text on indigenous peoples in the early 2000s.
Newly released Australian cabinet documents from 2003 show the two countries worked together to propose a softer version of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The declaration sets out the rights of indigenous peoples, including self-determination, preservation of language and culture, prohibits forced removal of lands or territories, and requires states to consult indigenous peoples.
The changes proposed by Australia and Canada would have removed references to land restitution, cultural genocide and demilitarization, significantly reducing the scope and potential impact of the final version.
The idea of a more state-friendly alternative text emerged from the Liberal government of Jean Chrétien, the documents show, and was supported by Australia at the time.
Every Liberal government is different, Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu told The Canadian Press, adding that every act of colonization and attack on Indigenous rights leaves a “stain” on the country.
“First Nations Indigenous people deserve so much more than that, and that’s what we’re trying to do as a Liberal government,” said Ms.me Hajdu.
The documents, first disclosed by the newspaper The Guardianshow that both governments worked in secret to weaken the declaration, while recognizing that their efforts would face strong indigenous opposition.
Records indicate that the aim of the exercise was to counter the original draft and prevent it “from achieving the status of customary international law”.
“Our approach has been to discuss the alternative text only with key states that appear to share our views and concerns,” the documents state. Australia and Canada have contacted the United States, New Zealand and Norway to invite them to participate in the Australia-Canada negotiations. »
An August 2002 cabinet note indicated that Canada viewed Australia as its most promising partner in this endeavor and that Canada was prepared to devote “significant resources” to it.
The two countries’ actions, which began in 2002, were likely to be criticized by indigenous groups for working in a “bilateral and non-transparent manner”, the documents say.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was amended before being adopted by the UN in 2007 – with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States the only countries to vote against it.
The Australian government approved the declaration in 2009; the following year, Stephen Harper’s Conservative government approved it as an “ambitious document” rather than a legally binding document.
The Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau passed legislation in 2021 to give force to the declaration, which Mme Hajdu pointed out Tuesday after an announcement on the Eden Valley reserve, southwest of Calgary.
“We have moved far away from the early thoughts of elected leaders of all stripes who sought to undermine and weaken the rights of Indigenous people in this country,” she said.
A statement released later Tuesday by Mme Hajdu and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree sought to burnish the Trudeau government’s reputation as a committed Indigenous ally.
“Throughout history, successive Canadian governments have been wrong when it comes to advancing Indigenous rights and self-determination, and our government has worked hard to change that,” it reads.
Advocating for Indigenous peoples played an important role in the Liberals’ 2015 election victory, which came at a time when Stephen Harper’s ruling Conservatives had a reputation for doing the exact opposite.
The widespread “Idle No More” protest movement made headlines for months in 2012 and 2013, partly in response to Bill C-45, also known as the Jobs and Growth Act – legislation that indigenous critics saw as an attack on their rights.
The movement has grown to encompass environmental and indigenous rights more broadly and has gained widespread support among indigenous peoples across the country and around the world.
Today, after eight years in power, the federal Liberals find themselves facing criticism from indigenous peoples, much like those their predecessors faced.
But efforts toward reconciliation are far from over, Patty Hajdu and Gary Anandasangaree said in their statement.
“We will continue to help right the wrongs of the past, be steadfast in the pursuit of truth, and work to repair relationships,” they said, “so that we can walk the path of reconciliation together.” »