Dear editor,

On Oct. 24, the B.C. Government tabled their bill on adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

With the support of the Greens, the bill will surely pass. Since B.C. is the only province that hasn鈥檛 negotiated any land treaties this is a step forward, with special thanks to Minister Scott Fraser for the precedent-setting work his department has done.

I鈥檓 puzzled though by the meaning of the words in Article 19 where the different parties must negotiate in 鈥榞ood faith鈥� to 鈥榦btain free, prior and informed consent鈥� before actions are implemented that might affect the Indigenous people involved.

Last year I attended a meeting at our local college to hear three guests talk about the B.C. Government鈥檚 decision to proceed with the Liberal project to build the Site C dam. Amnesty International presented, as did Indigenous leader Bob Chamberlin and Sarah Cox (award-winning author of Breaching the Peace).

I took home a copy of UNDRIP and am astounded at how many articles in this document have been violated by the ongoing construction of the Site C dam. Is there any chance that this bill could be made 鈥榬etroactive鈥� in order to address these serious violations? Probably not.

Sadly, in my elder years, I鈥檝e become somewhat cynical. I see the B.C. Government, hydro, forestry, mining companies, and the LNG promoters publicly getting that 鈥榝ree, prior and informed consent鈥� and then carrying on as planned! The minister has said so himself鈥︹�漀o veto over development 鈥� minimum standards,鈥� obviously business as usual. Very disheartening.

Rosemary Baxter

Courtenay B.C.