Aboriginal Affairs minister gets heat for UN declaration comments

Federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt has come under fire for comments he made on the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Valcourt comments to the Montreal Gazette are being deemed insensitive and misleading.
Valcourt told the newspaper that the “UN Declaration is an aspirational document that doesn’t affect the government’s treaty and Aboriginal rights obligation under the Constitution.”
Chiefs of Ontario Regional Chief Stan Beardy took issue with Valcourt’s comments.
“It is perplexing as to why a federal Aboriginal minister would make these kind of misleading statements on the Declaration to the Canadian public,” Beardy said.
Beardy also recommended that two UN groups coming to Canada to probe the human rights conditions of First Nations should consider Valcourt’s comments “in their evaluation of Canada’s treatment of Indigenous peoples.”
The UN Declaration was adopted by the UN in 2007 after 30 years of work, although Canada only signed on in 2010.
“The declaration sets an important standard for the treatment of Indigenous peoples that will undoubtedly be a significant tool towards eliminating human rights violations against the planet’s 370 million Indigenous peoples and assisting them in combating discrimination and marginalization,” the UN said at the time of the declaration’s passing.
At the time of Canada’s signing of the declaration, then-Indian Affairs Minister John Duncan said the declaration was a milestone.
“Canada's Aboriginal leadership has spoken with passion on the importance of endorsing the declaration," Duncan stated in 2010. "Today's announcement represents another important milestone on the road to respect and co-operation."