Open Letter to Canada regarding draft UNDRIP Action Plan

06/23/2023

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) would like to inform the community that an Open Letter has been sent to Justice Minister David Lametti, regarding Canada’s draft federal action plan for the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

The letter, which was sent to Minister Lametti on June 2, 2023, contained information, comments, and feedback from community members who attended two special meetings hosted by the MCK on May 23 & 24, 2023.

“The letter contained key findings, recommendations, and suggested changes to the wording contained within Canada’s draft UNDRIP plan,” said Ratsénhaienhs Ross Montour. “While the MCK was forced to work under extremely tight ‘consultation’ timelines to gather this information, we made every effort to ensure the community’s voice was heard.”

The comments and suggested changes listed in the open letter were gathered from those two special meetings and were compiled into a report. That report will be made public at a later date.

On Wednesday (June 21, 2023), Ottawa unveiled its UNDRIP action plan in the House of Commons, and the MCK is in the process of reviewing the revised document to ensure Kahnawà:ke’s comments and concerns were included.

To date, the MCK has yet to receive a formal response from Minister Lametti’s office.