First Nations leaders say they have lost confidence in Premier David Eby as his NDP government seeks to amend British Columbia’s landmark reconciliation legislation.
Several leaders gathered in Vancouver Friday to denounce the government’s latest proposal to suspend part of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s Act, known as DRIPA.
“I think the problem is Premier Eby himself, and I think the NDP has a colossal leadership problem here in British Columbia,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.
“[DRIPA] is the only path forward that’s viable that will create the results we all seek,” he said.
Eby has said his government is backing off its proposal to make permanent changes to DRIPA. He met with First Nations leaders on April 3, where he presented the government’s updated plan to table amendments to temporarily suspend some parts of the legislation.
Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, said First Nations were not given adequate time to consult on the latest proposal.
“He just says we’re going to go ahead with this. That’s the kind of attitude we’re getting from this government, and it is not acceptable,” said Sayers.
Eby told reporters last week that First Nations representatives were given the chance to provide their feedback to the proposal during the nearly two-hour meeting.
B.C. adopted DRIPA in 2019 as a framework for reconciliation. But there have been calls to amend or even repeal the legislation after a pair of 2025 court cases related to DRIPA and title rights.
Last August, the B.C. Supreme Court declared the Quw’utsun (Cowichan) First Nation has title to part of Richmond. The B.C. government vowed to appeal the ruling, saying it could have significant unintended consequences for fee simple private property rights.
First Nations leaders have said the case is not about seizing private property, and have accused some politicians of fear-mongering on the issue.
A B.C. Court of Appeal ruling last December in favour of the Gitxaała Nation found the province’s mineral tenure system is not compatible with the legislation. It said that courts can decide whether a law is inconsistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), potentially opening the door to more lawsuits against the province.
Eby has said the amendments are needed to protect the province from potential litigation while the Supreme Court of Canada hears an appeal on the Gitxaała ruling.
Former B.C. Green MLA Adam Olsen, who was among the MLAs to unanimously pass DRIPA more than six years ago, said he’s extremely disappointed with how it’s being treated by the current government.
Olsen is now the lead negotiator for the Tsartlip First Nation.
“There was so much hope in 2019. We were jubilant. We celebrated together,” he said.
He called on current MLAs to oppose the amendments when they are tabled in the House.
“We stand for the future of this province, working in a collaborative, collective way, rather than in the fragmented and confrontational way that Premier Eby has currently chosen,” said Olsen.
Eby has said the vote on the amendments would be a confidence vote, meaning the government would fall if the bill does not pass. He expressed confidence earlier this week that he will have the necessary votes to avoid a snap election.
Phillip, whose wife is MLA Joan Phillip, said he wouldn’t speak on her behalf regarding how she will vote on the issue.
“I know that she does not support the suspension. She does not support any tinkering or meddling with DRIPA,” he said.
He called on other MLAs to “vote with their conscience.”
The B.C. Conservatives have called for DRIPA to be repealed, saying it has created uncertainty in the province.
Shana Thomas, hereditary Chief of Lyackson First Nation, said it’s not new for political parties to use First Nations rights as a talking point.
“Anytime there’s a sniff of an election about to happen, the first thing people do is run to the media and denounce the inherent rights and title of First Nations people and make all kinds of commitments that do not stand in the court of law, which is why we repeat the cycle,” said Thomas.
“So let’s just skip all of that, and let’s get to the business of reconciliation in the province of British Columbia,” she said.
