Canada’s UNDRIP Bill C-15: Concerns and Unintended Consequences – ARC Energy Research Institute

This week our guest is Dale Swampy, President of the National Coalition of Chiefs (NCC).

Dale recently wrote an op-ed titled “UNDRIP will slow, not hasten Indigenous development.” UNDRIP (the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) was drafted by the United Nations in 2007 with the goal of recognizing basic human rights of Indigenous people and their right to self-determination. While these goals are laudable, the concern is that the legislation could create even greater uncertainty for natural resources projects in Canada.

Peter and Jackie ask Dale: What are your concerns with Bill C-15? Based on the 2020 Wet’suwet’en LNG pipeline conflict, consent for projects is already ambiguous, how does UNDRIP make it worse? How much consultation with Indigenous communities occurred prior to tabling the Bill? What is the status of Trans Mountain Indigenous equity ownership? Is there a better way to advance major projects on Indigenous lands in Canada?