Changes that impact Indigenous communities

How would these changes affect you?

Building a Better Impact Assessment System

• New partnerships based on recognition of the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples up front.
• Legislated requirement to consider impacts on the rights of Indigenous peoples in decision making.
• Opportunities for Indigenous jurisdictions to exercise powers and duties under the Act.
• Legislated provisions for greater Indigenous expertise on assessment boards and review panels
• Increased support for Indigenous participation and capacity development.
• An Indigenous Advisory Committee whose membership must include persons recommended by the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples will provide policy and technical guidance on issues of concern to Indigenous peoples.

A New Canadian Energy Regulator

• New partnerships based on recognition of the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples up front.
• Legislated requirement to consider impacts on the rights of Indigenous peoples in decision- making.
• Legislated provisions for greater Indigenous expertise on assessment boards and review panels.
• At least one member of the Board of Directors and one Commissioner must be an Indigenous person.
• An Indigenous Advisory Committee whose membership must include persons recommended by the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
• More open, accessible, inclusive and transparent regulatory reviews.

Restoring Lost Protections to Fish and Fish Habitat

• Requirement to consider adverse effects on the rights of Indigenous people and treaty rights in decision-making.
• Indigenous jurisdictions have the same ability as Provinces and Territories, to be able to enter into agreements with the Government of Canada.
• Indigenous representation to be sought for advisory panels.
• Certainty for harvesters by enabling new regulations that would allow leases or licences to be issued for a period of more than nine years.

Protecting Canada’s Navigable Waters

• Expanded definition of navigable waters to explicitly include those where Indigenous peoples use vessels to exercise their existing rights.
• Enhanced opportunities for Indigenous communities to participate in monitoring, enforcement and decision-making activities.
• Requirement to consider any adverse effects that decisions may have on the rights of Indigenous peoples.
• Tailored process for Indigenous peoples to propose additions to the schedule of waters that will receive extra oversight.