Indigenous

Successive governments have failed to fully acknowledge and address the intergenerational harm and trauma on Indigenous peoples from Canada’s colonial history and its legacy of dislocation, land theft, residential schools, and genocide. Indigenous peoples today continue to face systemic racism in the healthcare, education, and justice systems, as well as discrimination in key areas such as housing and employment. Too many Indigenous communities still do not have reliable access to cleaning drinking water. Violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLBTQIA+ people is so bad that the National Inquiry called it a genocide.

Implementing Indigenous rights need to be at the heart of everything that we do.

Indigenous leaders and advocates have already given us frameworks to work towards meaningful reconciliation. We must implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, all Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and all Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry’s Final Report. We must bridge the housing, education, health, resource and access gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. We must ensure Indigenous communities have the adequate resources to give meaningful free, informed and prior consent to resource development projects and decisions that impact Indigenous peoples. There is no time to waste.

Media Statement: Bill C-5 undermines the democratic process, the right of Indigenous People, the rights and safety of workers, and critical environmental protections

Bill C-5 undermines the democratic process, the rights of Indigenous Peoples, the rights and safety of workers, and critical environmental protections.

The NDP opposes this bill in its current form.

Through Bill C-5, Carney is using the threat of Trump's tariffs to provide Cabinet and Ministers with overreaching powers to eliminate environmental oversight, violate Constitutional obligations to Indigenous peoples, and lower labour standards for workers throughout Canada.

There is no doubt that the unjustified and illegal trade war initiated by Trump opens an opportunity to buy and build more of what we need at home and make sure workers and Indigenous people benefit.

Although Part 1 of C-5 deserves positive consideration, we have many grave concerns about part two of Bill C-5. That is why the NDP will oppose fast-tracking this legislation and will oppose this bill in its current form.

HANSARD: Recent Deaths of First Nations People During Police Interventions Emergency Debate

Householder Summer 2024

NDP Media Release: Red Dress Day 2024

"On Red Dress Day, New Democrats would like to honour all those who continue to work tirelessly to end the ongoing genocide of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and gender diverse people (MMIWG2S+), including families, survivors, advocates and Indigenous women. For far too long this crisis has been neglected, and it is inspiring to see the work of Indigenous community members in ending the violence.

In 2023, an NDP motion to recognize the crisis of MMIWG2S+ as a Canada-wide emergency received support from all parties in the House of Commons. Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples are roughly six times more likely to be murdered than their non-Indigenous counterparts throughout Canada, and 19 times more likely in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. These numbers are extremely disturbing, and leaders at all levels of government must do everything in their power to stop this ongoing genocide.

HANSARD: Statement in remembrance of Missing Murdered and Indigenous Women and Girls

Media Release: NDP secures major investment in housing for indigenous peoples

OTTAWA — On Wednesday, New Democrats used their power to force the Liberal government to invest in a For-Indigenous/By-Indigenous housing strategy for First Nations, Métis and Inuit living away from their home community.

A few days after Pierre Poilievre’s cut-and-gut Conservatives voted to cut funding for homes for Indigenous peoples, the NDP is delivering critical funding, and a For-Indigenous/By-Indigenous Centre responsible for channelling the funds through both national and regional Indigenous-led housing organizations. Through the Confidence and Supply Agreement, the NDP used their power to secure $8.3 billion in total federal funding to address the urgent, unmet housing needs of Indigenous people living in urban, rural and northern areas. This includes $4 billion dedicated to community distinctions-based funding and $4.3 billion for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people living away from their home community.

CBC: Victims' families, women's advocates demand RCMP halt plan to dispose of Robert Pickton evidence

The seven-page letter released Monday, titled "A Call To Preserve Evidence In The Pickton Case," is endorsed by nearly three dozen different organizations from across Canada, including several Indigenous women's groups, as well as several academics and other people including Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan.

The letter is co-signed by Sue Brown, a director and staff lawyer with the group Justice for Girls, and Sasha Reid, who is behind a database of missing people and unsolved murders in Canada.

HANSARD: Addressing housing issues, including CMHC, indigenous housing and the lost of affordable housing

Windspeaker: Proposed Legislation to Amend the Indian Act Continues Discrimination It’s Designed to End, Say MPs

Jenny Kwan, NDP MP for Vancouver East, said the non-liability clause allows the government to have “discriminated without impunity and underscores the sense of colonial entitlement.”

Idlout also raised concerns about the “sexist and…problematic” section 6(2) in the Indian Act, which she said is not addressed in the Bill C-38 amendment.

Under section 6(2), someone who has only one status parent will get status for their lifetime. However, the next generation will not. This is referred to as the “second generation cut-off.” This provides issues especially for women, who can easily be identified as a child’s parent.