In a joint statement released Feb. 9, directed at B.C. Premier David Eby, over 100 First Nations opposed the proposed changes made to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). DRIPA was passed back in 2019 by the B.C. government to incorporate the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into provincial law.
In reaction to a court ruling on Dec. 5, which found that the Mineral Tenure Act, that allows individuals and corporations to register claims on mineral rights within crown land, did not align with DRIPA. Eby has since stated that DRIPA will be reviewed and possibly changed so that it can better align with the original reasons for adopting the act, and ensure that future rulings are left to elected officials, and not the hands of the court. The B.C. Conservatives expressed their opposition to DRIPA as a whole, once again calling for its full repeal.
In response to growing misinformation regarding DRIPA and its importance, the First Nations Leadership Council created a new page detailing DRIPA, its functions, and how it has been successful in promoting reconciliation.
