Regional Chief Terry Teegee has been clear it means co-government and that’s where First Nations want to be
Article content
VICTORIA — Premier David Eby faced tough questions this week for abandoning his changes to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in the face of strong opposition from First Nations.
Article content
Are the New Democrats “now co-governing the province with First Nations leadership?” asked Opposition Leader Trevor Halford.
Article content
Article content
Eby’s initial response was to accuse the Conservatives “of deliberately twisting this to spread fear.”
Article content
Story continues below
Article content
But Halford pointed out that he was simply quoting Terry Teegee, B.C. regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
Article content
Article content
Teegee was asked point blank last week if “we are now in a position where roughly 200 First Nations are co-governing this province with the B.C. government.”
Article content
“Is that true?” Asked CKNW radio host Jill Bennett.
Article content
“Yes, that’s exactly right,” replied Teegee and went on to explain that co-governance was the essence of DRIPA.
Article content
“Ultimately we have to get into a room — and First Nations have to get in the room — and to the negotiations table to make decisions on these important matters. Really, it is putting the spotlight on how development occurs.”
Article content
Was the regional chief wrong when he said Indigenous leaders are now co-governing with the province, Halford asked the premier.
Article content
Eby tried a second deflection. “This parliament remains supreme,” he replied. “But we are bounded by a Constitution that obliges us to do important work with First Nations.”
Article content
However, Halford was not to be turned. He pressed Eby a third time on whether he agreed with Teegee’s claim of co-governance: “It’s a yes or no, premier.”
Article content
Story continues below
Article content
No way was Eby going directly acknowledge the regional chief on co-governance. Instead the premier put the onus back on the Opposition.
Article content
Read More
-
Vaughn Palmer: Opposition repeats what B.C. premier said, is accused of ‘misinformation’
-
Opinion: Why B.C.’s future depends on embracing DRIPA
-
Advertisement 1
Story continues below
Article content
“We’ve got parliamentary representatives that are elected from every part of the province. We have to vote on laws,” replied Eby. “The sort of Conservative conversation that, at the end of the day, the parliament no longer matters — that it is some sort of different arrangement now — is simply not the case.”
Article content
Eby’s ducking aside, it remained an open question whether the premier or the regional chief was the more reliable source of information on co-governance.
Article content
Teegee was a central figure in the adoption of DRIPA under premier John Horgan. In a posthumous memoir published last year, Horgan named Teegee as one of the Indigenous leaders who persuaded him to endorse the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Article content
He indicated that Teegee was among the Indigenous leaders who oversaw the drafting of DRIPA itself. He further cited him as an authority on whether the UNDRIP guarantee of “free, prior and informed consent” for Indigenous people would amount to a veto.
