The Honourable Tim Hodgson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Dear Minister,
Congratulations on your election victory, and your appointment as Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. This role will be critical as the Government looks to fulfill the seven key priorities outlined in the Prime Minister’s Mandate Letter to cabinet.
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.”
We affirm the Mandate Letter’s commitment 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.”
We recognize the felt urgency of expeditious economic development and diversification in the current context, but it is critical that in 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).
The Declaration provides a framework for reconciliation and healing, and peaceful, harmonious and cooperative relations between the Government of Canada and Indigenous peoples. 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 fulfill the responsibilities of your office, 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 Minister and strive to work together in good faith with Indigenous leaders. We pray also for you and your family as you face the new demands of time and expectations of your office.
We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to talk about the ongoing journey toward right relationship.
Yours sincerely,
Julia Beazley, Director of Public Policy
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
On behalf of the 7 Commitments Working Group:
Dr. Jobb Arnold, Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution Studies, Canadian Mennonite University
Julia Beazley, Director Public Policy and the EFC’s Centre for Faith and Public Life
Mackenzie Griffin, Peace and Reconciliation Network
Joel Gordon, Director of the EFC’s Centre for Ministry Partnerships and Innovation
Dr. Mike Hogeterp, Lead Facilitator, Canadian Learning Community for Decolonization and Innovation in Theological Education, NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community
Rev. Adam Kline, Director of Intercultural Missions, The Free Methodist Church in Canada
Rev. Alison Lefebvre, Pastor, Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada
Crystal Porter, Indigenous Ministries Consultant, Community Mission Department, The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters
Lisa Raven, Executive Director, Returning to Spirit
Dr. Shari Russell, Director, NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community
Rev. Jodi Spargur, Lead Facilitator, Red Clover, Pastor, Canadian Baptists of Western Canada
Rev. Dr. H. Daniel Zacharias, Associate Dean, Professor of New Testament Studies, Acadia Divinity College