Dear Mr. Virani, Mr. Trudeau,
I’ve just finished my fourth day walking with the Pilgrimage for Indigenous Rights, a walk from Kitchener to Ottawa to educate and engage with churches on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We are responding to Call to Action 48 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, which calls on churches to engage in ongoing public dialogue and actions to support the Declaration. We are a group of Christians from various denominations and provinces across Canada, ranging in age from 10 months to 87 years. Tonight we are staying in the Actinolite Community Hall, on our way to arrive in Ottawa on May 13.
We are walking in support of implementation of the Declaration, and also in support of Romeo Saganash’s Bill C-262 as a legislative framework for implementation. I have been heartened by the Liberal government’s affirmation of the Declaration and the initial work by the Working Group of Ministers to review Canadian laws through the lens of the Declaration. I hope that the government will take the further step of supporting Bill C-262. Robert Falcon-Ouelette’s Bill C-332, which the Liberal government is supporting, is much less likely than Bill C-262 to come up for a vote, and is essentially a weakened version of Mr. Saganash’s bill. Bill C-262’s 20-year timeline for annual reporting is crucial to ensure that efforts to implement the Declaration continue beyond the current government. It also acknowledges the long-term nature of reconciliation. Representatives of Canada’s government at the UN have spoken proudly of Romeo Saganash’s involvement in developing the Declaration, and it would be only right to stand behind him when it comes to implementing it.
May I ask if you will support Bill C-262? I would also like to invite you to our Walk the Talk rally in Ottawa on Saturday, May 13th at 2 pm. Will you be able to meet us there?
Best regards,
Esther
broken into song 