Dear Prime Minister Harper,
I am writing to express my concern regarding omnibus laws Bill C-38 and Bill C-45 which pose threat to First Nations” constitutional rights. These laws facilitate the leasing of reserve land and the opening of indigenous treaty lands and territories. Furthermore, they remove the protection for most navigable rivers and lakes in Canada and severly reduce the meaning and applicability of Environmental Assessment processes. Both laws are in violation of the right to Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) included in the UN-Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples that your government endorsed in 2010. I urgently ask you to enter into dialogue with the Frist Nations in respect of the standards upheld within the UN-Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Please review Bill C-38 and Bill C-45 to ensure consistency and compliance with constitutional requirements about consultations with aboriginal peoples. Please ensure that all federal legislation has the consent of First Nations where in inherent and Treaty rights are affected.