Freda Huson arrest Unist'ot'en camp

Indigenous Rights

Indigenous Peoples in Canada are made up of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. There are more than 1.6 million Indigenous Peoples in Canada, representing 4.9 per cent of the population, according to 2016 census figures.

Through treaties and the Canadian Constitution Act, Canada has made significant promises to Indigenous Peoples in exchange for access to Indigenous land. The vast majority of natural resource decisions and development in Canada has been made in violation of these promises and, as a result, the government of Canada has promised to renew nation-to-nation relations with Indigenous Peoples.

By any measure the federal government and its provincial counterparts have much work to do. Critics have pointed out approvals of projects like the Site C dam and the Trans Mountain pipeline challenge Canada’s commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which guarantees the right to “free, prior and informed consent.”

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The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for a weekly dose of independent journalism.
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As The Narwhal turns five, I’m thinking about the momentous outpouring of public generosity — a miracle of sorts — that’s allowed us to prove the critics wrong. More than 6,000 people just like you donate whatever they can afford to make independent, high-stakes journalism about the natural world in Canada free for everyone to read. Help us keep the dream alive for another five years by becoming a member today and we’ll mail you a copy of our beautiful 2023 print magazine. — Carol Linnitt, co-founder
Keep the dream alive.