In response to a question about the Carney government’s relationship with the Indigenous community, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand scolded senators for not beginning the meeting with a land acknowledgement, despite there being no requirement for them to do so.
Anand was attending the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade on Thursday where the exchange ensued.
“I note and wonder why we didn’t begin this session with a land acknowledgement, which is very important wherever we are, whenever we are speaking and gathering together on the traditional unceded territory of Indigenous peoples,” she said. “This is part of reconciliation.”
Chair of the committee Sen. Peter Boehm told National Post in an emailed statement that “there is no Senate rule or custom requiring a land acknowledgement at Senate committee meetings.”
He said that during the past five years as chair, he has not made land acknowledgements. “My views in support of national truth and reconciliation are well known as is my ongoing support for the rights of Indigenous peoples,” he said.
Anand during the meeting covered a wide range of topics, such as Canada making the Gulf regions, including the United Arab Emirates, a priority for “upcoming engagement on economic diplomacy.” She reiterated Canada’s commitment to human rights after receiving pushback from some senators who said the country was abandoning its position on human rights. There have been
reports
that the UAE has been fuelling the
civil war in Sudan
.
Anand also said Canada would be investing in the Arctic and “doing the work” there alongside Indigenous peoples.
Later in the meeting, Sen. Duncan Wilson commented that he was concerned that “we’re talking about things before we’ve gone out and met with First Nations.”
“And if there’s one thing that we’ve learned over the last decade in reconciliation is we need to start the conversations with First Nations,” he said.
“There’s a real understanding right now that we need to move quickly as a country, but I’m worried that we’re leaving some of those communities behind when they should be more part of the discussion.”
Duncan made reference to Bill C-5, which was approved in June.
The legislation “allows the federal Cabinet to fast-track major projects such as highways, pipelines, and energy projects by designating them as ‘national interest’ projects,” according to the Chiefs of Ontario. The group says it is dedicated to upholding the self-determination efforts of the Anishinaabek, Mushkegowuk, Onkwehonwe, and Lenape Peoples in protecting and exercising their inherent and Treaty rights.
The groups says online that Bill C-5 was rushed, “leaving little time for dialogue, engagement, or accountability.”
“When you mention here at home, it was our government that adopted the Truth and Reconciliation Report, that has adopted the commitments to truth and reconciliation,” Anand responded to Duncan. It was then that Anand questioned why no land acknowledgement was made.
Anand’s spokesperson told National Post the minister addressed the issue with the comments made in the Senate meeting.
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