Indigenous Leaders Shift Support Ahead of B.C. Election

Indigenous leaders in British Columbia are reconsidering their support for the New Democratic Party ahead of the upcoming provincial election. The tension follows a proposal by Premier David Eby to suspend portions of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) for up to three years, which critics argued would erode rights protections.

Although Eby eventually shelved the proposed changes and stated that partnership with Indigenous people is the "only path forward," some leaders have shifted their political alignment. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and Wet’suwet’en hereditary Chief Na’moks have both endorsed Green Party leader Emily Lowan in the Saanich North and the Islands riding. Chief Na’moks attributed the endorsement to "disappointing leadership and inaction" from the current government.

While Lowan pledges to continue implementing DRIPA in alignment with UN human rights standards, the Conservative Party offers a different approach. Interim Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson has pledged to repeal DRIPA entirely if his party takes power, claiming the legislation has created more division on the landscape than he has ever seen.