Christine Grimard
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, September 12, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - At least 50 people took their message to the streets Sept. 7 in a rally to support the United Nations' declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples.

Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus handed NWT Commissioner Tony Whitford a petition with close to 1,000 signatures showing support for the United Nations' declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. - Christine Grimard/NNSL photo

Led by Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus, the crowd marched down 50th Street chanting that the Canadian government needs to support the declaration, expected to be adopted Sept. 13 by the United Nations General Assembly.

The declaration sets out global human rights standards for indigenous people. Although supported by the former Liberal government, the Conservative government is opposing the declaration.

"The new government is against the declaration, saying it's too vague; meaning at the end of the day that indigenous people may have too much control over their land," Erasmus told the crowd that gathered outside the Greenstone federal government building at the end of the march.

Erasmus said that similar marches are taking place all over Canada, giving the government the message that they need to support the declaration to show support for their aboriginal populations.

"As aboriginal people, we have a responsibility to take care of aboriginal people and our land," said Denyse Nadon-Holder, executive director of the Native Women's Association. "We're a little troubled that we have to rally today to take care of Mother Earth. It doesn't seem right that we have to do this, but if it's what we have to do we'll do it."

Among the gathered crowd were several MLA candidates, representatives from various agencies and members of the public like Lucy Lafferty from Behchoko.

"I thought it's important for us to voice our concerns, especially when these are decisions that affect everybody," Lafferty said. She said that back in Behchoko many people aren't aware about what's happening and there needs to be more communication to keep her people up to date on decisions that have an impact on them.

"As aboriginal people, there's so much tie to the land, it's so important for our survival," she said.

At the rally, Erasmus handed NWT Commissioner Tony Whitford a petition with close to 1,000 signatures showing support for the declaration.

Erasmus said he would likely go to the UN headquarters in New York to show support for the declaration during the vote.

The declaration was first adopted in June 2006, despite opposition from Canada and Russia, the only two countries on the UN Human Rights Council that voted against the document.