Saddle Lake speaks out on inherent rights

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Describing itself as "one of the last hold-outs" where self-government is concerned, in the words of communications spokesman Albert Cryer, Saddle Lake First Nation has positioned itself as a player on the international stage in an attempt to articulate their Aboriginal rights and seek remedies for injustices done to Indigenous people.

Councillor Eric Large attended the sixth session of the inter-sessional working group under the Commission of Human Rights-Economic and Social Council of the United Nations held in Geneva, Switzerland between Nov. 20 and Dec. 1. The session attracted 362 delegates from 41 countries, 26 Indigenous organizations and numerous others.

The goal of the session was to work on a draft declaration on Indigenous peoples' rights that had been tabled in 1993 in the hope of having it adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations. Only two of 45 articles in the draft have been adopted since then.

The Saddle Lake councillor delivered a six-page presentation that was their position on the draft declaration. It outlined a wide range of fundamental concerns regarding the First Nation's exercising of its inherent rights in Canada, as well as summarizing their previous submissions to the Working Group on Indigenous Populations where the document is tabled.

Councillor Large also made an interventions regarding article 44, which states "nothing in this declaration may be construed as diminishing or extinguishing existing or future rights Indigenous peoples may have or acquire." These rights have section 35 protection in the Canadian Constitution. Large also made an intervention regarding articles 12, 13 and 14, taken together, which deal with Indigenous peoples rights to their cultural traditions and ceremonies and a broad range of related cultural issues, such as language, governance, the right to ceremonial objects and the right to repatriate human remains.

On Jan. 5, Large said many countries, including Canada, "thought they were recognizing too many rights." They stalled adoption of articles 1, 2, 13, 14, 44 and 45 by tabling a number of words or clauses for further discussion, according to Large. He said this had the force of blocking "the full enjoyment of all the human rights and freedoms" by Indigenous people, even though these were the same ideals the participating nation states had endorsed in a variety of civil and previous human rights declarations.

Though disappointed at the lack of progress, Large said Saddle Lake will persevere for as long as it takes. "These things take time." He added, "the more First Nations bring their issues to the world, the better."