Bob Rae, the leader of the federal Liberal party...

Bob Rae, the leader of the federal Liberal party, has set out in a private member’s motion an appeal to replace the Indian Act, with nation to nation consultation between government and First Nations. “First Nations have been very clear. We must shed the colonial institutions and frameworks that have characterized the Crown-First Nations relationship to date if we want to work together towards a new process,” said Rae. The motion seeks to replace the Indian Act with new agreements that would be consistent with First Nations’ rights, the original treaty relationships, outstanding obligations and promises, and the standards established in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. “As First Nations leaders across the country have stated, the Indian Act remains the most significant obstacle to progress for First Nations communities across Canada,” said Rae.