The Right Honourable Mark Carney
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Dear Prime Minister,
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is the national association of evangelical congregations, denominations, educational institutions and ministries across Canada. The evangelical community is a significant segment of the Christian population in Canada, made up of some 2.5 million Canadians.
The EFC’s Seven Commitments Working Group (7CWG) is comprised of Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders and influencers from a broad spectrum of evangelical communities and inter-church contexts. In June 2020, the Working Group recommended a number of actions to the EFC in pursuit of reconciliation and right relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. The EFC received these recommendations and has committed to prompting conversation and action among the EFC’s affiliates in relation to a set of
seven commitments. The task of the 7CWG is to develop strategies in relation to the commitments and to help guide their implementation.
The first of these is a recommitment to the
Reconciliation Proclamation, a statement that arose from the 1995 Sacred Assembly, called by Elijah Harper. The Reconciliation Proclamation is foundational to our work, and to the EFC’s learning and journey toward right relationship with Indigenous peoples. The Proclamation affirms that justice and right relationship require respect for treaties, good faith dialogue and action on Indigenous land and self-government rights, and the shared responsibility of all people in this place called Canada for the “integrity of the land and the unity and wellbeing of its inhabitants.”
The EFC’s governance board has made a long-term commitment to ensuring that reconciliation and right relationships with Indigenous peoples is prioritized in the work of the EFC. This is echoed in our organizational strategic plan, which commits to ensuring that the spirit and intention of the Reconciliation Proclamation is reflected in the EFC’s work and priorities, and that right relations with Indigenous peoples becomes an enduring part of the EFC’s organizational values and history.
The EFC affirms the commitment in your Mandate Letter to cabinet to “work in true partnership with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples” and to “continue the vital work of advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.” We affirm also the commitment in the Speech from the Throne to a project approval process that will uphold “Canada’s world-leading environmental standards and its constitutional obligations to Indigenous peoples.”
You have consistently spoken to the importance of working in true partnership with Indigenous peoples in a variety of settings and addresses. These comments are welcome and essential. Following through on them will be transformative.
We fully recognize the felt urgency of expeditious economic development and diversification in the current context, but it is critical that, despite the urgency, the Government of Canada honours its obligations under section 35 of the
Constitution Act, 1982, and the related duty to consult as outlined in the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration). We were pleased to see these obligations expressed clearly in the amended version of Bill C-5.
The Declaration provides a framework for reconciliation and healing, and peaceful, harmonious and cooperative relations between the Government of Canada and Indigenous peoples and nations. The
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which received Royal Assent in June 2021 “provides a clear vision for the future, ensuring that, moving forward, federal laws reflect the standards set out in the Declaration, while also respecting Aboriginal and Treaty rights recognized and affirmed in the Constitution.”
The Government of Canada’s constitutional duty to consult Indigenous peoples when it considers measures or projects that could impact their Treaty rights has been consistently confirmed by the Courts. Further, the principle of free, prior and informed consent is woven throughout the Declaration.
As you lead our nation in this critical moment, we encourage you to prioritize and ensure the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous peoples at all stages of project development. Indigenous peoples can and must be full partners in all efforts to lead Canada in becoming “an energy superpower in both clean and conventional energies,” as well as efforts to expedite “nation-building projects.” It is essential that the Government of Canada work together in respectful nation-to-nation partnership with Indigenous peoples, ensuring a seat at the table in all decisions that impact their rights, interests, communities and lands.
We pray for your success in finding common ground and seeking the common good in the context of a national commitment to reconciliation and right relationship. We pray for wisdom, strength and clarity as you fulfill your duties as Prime Minister and strive to work together in good faith with Indigenous leaders. We continue to pray also for you and your family as you face the new demands of time and expectations of your office.
I, and members of the EFC’s 7CWG, would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to talk about the ongoing journey toward right relationship.
Yours sincerely,
David Guretzki, PhD (McGill)
President & CEO