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	Aboriginal Law Bulletin

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.