Photo: MPs applaud Saganash, UNDRIP bill gets 2nd reading

MPs applaud Nunavik MP Romeo Saganash on Thursday, Feb. 8, as his private member’s bill C-262, which would require the federal government to ensure all Canadian laws are consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, passes second reading in the House of Commons and heads into the standing committee on Indigenous and northern affairs. The UNDRIP declaration recognizes the basic human rights of Indigenous peoples, including rights to self-determination, lands and languages. The document is considered a key tool in helping Indigenous groups fight discrimination and marginalization in their home countries, although it’s not legally binding. Before it was elected in 2015, the federal Liberal government campaigned on a promise to implement UNDRIP. (SCREEN SHOT)