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[1997] AboriginalLawB 9
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Bauman, Toni --- "Stirrings: Some Recommendations of the Canadian Royal Commission on Aboriginal People's Report" [1997] AboriginalLawB 9; (1997) 3(88) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 19
Stirrings:
Some Recommendations
of the Canadian Royal Commission on Aboriginal People's Report
On 21 November 1996, the five year Canadian Royal Commission on Aboriginal
Peoples tabled a 3,537 page, six volume report making a
range of recommendations
which it is hoped will advance the cause of reconciliation with that country's
Indigenous people. It has
been estimated that the suggested reforms will cost
around $30 billion over 20 years.
Some of the recommendations appear below.
- The Queen and Parliament should issue a royal proclamation acknowledging
mistakes of the past.
- An Aboriginal Parliament to be called the House of the First Peoples should
be created.
- The Canadian Human Rights Commission should be authorised to inquire into
the effect of relocations.
- Indigenous people should enjoy dual citizenship as both members of First
Nations and of Canada.
- Indigenous people living on their country should pay personal income tax;
those living off their country should pay federal and provincial
taxes.
- An independent lands and treaties tribunal should be created to monitor land
claims.
- Broken treaty promises should be rectified in Parliamentary Acts.
- Adequate land and a revenue base to enable Indigenous communities to become
self-sufficient should be provided.
- Long term agreements between Governments - Federal and Provincial -should be
made to provide funding for economic development.
- A national Aboriginal development bank should be created to provide support
for Indigenous projects.
- Indigenous people should be able to use social security funds innovatively
for employment and training and social development.
- Indigenous leaders should take a firm public stand regarding the rights of
all community members to freedom from violence, especially
women, children,
elders and the disabled.
- Indigenous women should be assured of equal participation in decision making
bodies.
- Customary family laws involving divorce, child custody and so on should be
recognised in amendments to legislation.
- An action plan should be worked out to improve health and social conditions,
including a system of healing centres and lodges under
Indigenous control.
- Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments should commit to training
10,000 Indigenous professionals in health and social services.
- Adequate housing should be made available over the next 10 years to
Indigenous people on reserves and in rural northern and urban
communities.
- An Indigenous-controlled education system should be developed.
- Indigenous language programs should be compulsory, and School Boards should
also be required to hire Indigenous teachers and administrators.
- The Federal Government should provide $10 million annually for five years to
support Indigenous languages foundations.
- An Indigenous arts council should be established.
- A Youth policy should be developed.
- Governments should be prepared to negotiate with representatives of
self-government and to provide adequate land bases.
- Indigenous representatives should be involved in all planning for future
Constitutional discussions and hold a veto over changes to
sections involving
Indigenous rights.
Information has been summarised by Toni Bauman
from an article in The Globe and Mail, 22 November 1996, printed in
British Columbia.
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