Historic Step Forward For Indigenous Peoples

The Canadian province of British Columbia (B.C.) has unveiled a historic five-year, 89-point plan of action aimed at advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The new 89-point action plan is both a reconciliation process as well as a tangible and measurable goal for which B.C. will hold itself accountable.

“This… is a first for any government in the world. It will drive transformative change in the relationship with Indigenous Peoples and help us build a brighter future for everyone,” says Premier John Horgan.

The 89 actions address a wide range of issues including education, land and water stewardship, child welfare, health care, climate change, and Indigenous languages, among many others. It comes only two years after B.C. became the first jurisdiction in North America to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). “We will be held accountable every year in a real way. [This plan] will not gather dust, it cannot, it’s not allowed to,” adds the minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation, Murray Rankin.