Bill C-262: Barriers to Reconciliation Solidify

Kahnawake, June 27, 2019 – Quebec Native Women (QNW) denounces the fact that Bill C-262 died on the order paper, blocked by a few senators, as Canada prepared to take an important step. Carried unanimously in the House of Commons, Bill C-262 would have been a significant step forward, ensuring the harmonization of Canadian federal laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

We are dismayed to see once again the extent of the legacy of colonization, even as it was highlighted in the report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (NIMMIWG) tabled at the beginning of the month. The urgency to act to protect our women and girls is more present than ever. This bill, which aimed to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples, was an essential step towards healing.

“Through his hard work, Roméo Saganash has brought Bill C-262 beyond the winds and tides. The death of this bill represents a significant setback for reconciliation. The demands and the mobilization of Indigenous peoples are far from over, and will continue until the rights of Indigenous peoples and women are finally recognized and respected” said Viviane Michel, President of Quebec Native Women.qnw.org/