DRIPA “weaponized” by U.S. tribes to claim rights over B.C. land
One of the cases cited by the B.C. Conservatives involves Alaskan tribes challenging consultation surrounding the proposed Eskay Creek Gold Mine in northwestern B.C.
The B.C. Conservatives are warning that recent court cases involving U.S.-based Indigenous tribes could expand foreign influence over provincial affairs through legislation championed by the B.C. NDP.
In a statement released Monday, B.C. Conservative Indigenous Relations critic Scott McInnis said several filings before the B.C. Supreme Court show U.S.-based tribes invoking British Columbia’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and amendments to the province’s Interpretation Act in legal disputes involving natural resource projects.
