Attendees will leave with an understanding of the forces and efforts that led to the passing of the Declaration, an appreciation for the language of the Declaration and why the Declaration is controversial despite its laudable goals, and an understanding of BC’s new
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Persons Act and the federal government’s proposed legislation to implement the Declaration and how these might impact engineers and geoscientists in BC.
- The history leading up to the Declaration, including Canada’s position as one of four countries who voted against it and Canada’s change in position since that time.
- Why, despite the Declaration’s laudable goals, the Declaration is controversial and why some people, including some Indigenous people, have concerns with some of its provisions and making it law.
- The efforts to bring the Declaration into law in Canada, culminating in BC’s new Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Persons Act (also known as Bill 41), one of the first efforts in the world to bring the Declaration into law.
- What BC’s legislation means and a comparison to legislative efforts by the federal government to implement the Declaration.
- A review of some areas where BC’s legislation and the Declaration may impact engineers and geoscientists in BC.
Co-Founder, Canadian Regulatory and Indigenous Law
Sandy Carpenter is Co-Founder of Canadian Regulatory and Indigenous Law, a regulatory and Indigenous law boutique, and is widely recognized as one of Canada's leading regulatory and Indigenous lawyers. Sandy has practiced administrative, environmental and Indigenous law for over 30 years across a wide range of industries and jurisdictions. He is a past President and member of the Board of the Canadian Energy Law Foundation, the pre-eminent association for lawyers engaged in energy law in Canada, and has taught Environmental Law and been a guest lecturer at the University of Calgary. Sandy obtained his LLB from UBC in 1985 and was called to the bar in BC in 1986. He was called to the bar in Alberta in 1997.