BC's DRIPA Changes Face Indigenous Backlash

0:00British Columbia's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People's Act is under fire from First Nations leaders over proposed changes. Robert Phillips, from the First Nations Summit, calls the amendments a sledgehammer that would gut the landmark law and rewind relations with the province by decades. Ahead of Thursday's meeting between First Nations heads and premier David Eby, the premier argues the tweaks are needed to hand reconciliation duties to elected MLAs instead of the courts. Phillips warns of big pushback, with First Nations weighing lawsuits in street protests if the change is pushed through. He points to Indigenous MLAs potentially facing their own Elijah Harper moment, like the lay politician who stalled Manitoba's Meech Lake Accord back. In 1990, details on the amendments are under wraps due to a non-disclosure agreement and it's unclear when legislators will review them. Phillips stresses First Nations aren't aiming to spark an election, but sees this as a defining moment in BC history.

1:00As leaders sit down this week, the big question is whether Eby will have paused and keep Drippas promise alive for real progress. That's your Canada News today update, AI powered and always on.