A Saskatchewan chief says he is pleased with some recent suggestions from the United Nations about ways Canada can better promote First Nations rights.
Little Black Bear Chief Perry Bellegarde was one of several Aboriginal leaders who recently travelled to Europe to speak to the U.N. Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
He notes the committee released its report a few days ago, and it calls on Canada to give serious consideration to establishing a Treaty Commission.
Bellegarde says it is something he has pushed for in the past, and something he thinks would do a lot of good:
“The former Auditor General, Sheila Fraser, had a lot of power and authority — and so she kept people accountable at a very senior level. And that’s the kind of institution we’re talking about.”
In the committee’s report, it also says it wants Canada to strengthen efforts to reduce violence against Aboriginal women, improve access to education for Aboriginal children and prevent large corporations from carrying out activities that negatively impact on the rights of Indigenous peoples.
It also says the country needs to examine its use of the phrase “visible minorities”.
The committee says some people in the country feel the phrase waters down the experiences of different ethnic groups.