A committee of Alberta Chiefs is questioning Canada’s commitment to uphold First Nations water rights, in response to the government’s defence of a $1.1 billion national class action lawsuit, the French service Espace Autochtones of Radio Canada reports.
The Chiefs say the case only adds to their concerns that Canada is attempting to offload its treaty rights and legal responsibilities through Bill C-61 regarding water on First Nations lands. The group is speaking out after federal lawyers argued in court earlier this month that Canada has no legal obligation to ensure First Nations have access to safe drinking water, even though ministers publicly suggest otherwise (see Blue News here).
Rupert Meneen, Chief of the Tallcree Tribal Government, located on Treaty 8 lands in northern Alberta, wonders who is telling the truth: the politicians or the lawyers? He said:
“If they say that the right to own water, to drink water or to have water in your community is not guaranteed by the treaty, who do you believe?”
Chiefs like Mr. Meneen are reiterating their call for a rewrite of Bill C-61. The Alberta Chiefs met with Ms Hajdu to discuss this earlier in October. Troy Knowlton, Chief of the Piikani Nation in southern Alberta, said he was still not convinced, even after this meeting:
“All First Nations in Canada are important. Their health is important. Their right to drinking water is important. I owe it to them to show solidarity and support those who may not have the benefit of this infrastructure to back them up.”
Read the full article on Espace Autochtones of Radio Canada (French)
