A matter of rights : Question de droits, rapport spécial de la Commission canadienne des droits de la personne sur l'abrogation de l'article 67 de la Loi canadienne sur les droits de la personne

Due to the narrowed application of section 67, there are decisions of First Nations governments and the federal government that fall outside the scope of the exemption and that therefore can be subject to review under the CHRA. [...] In introducing the legislation, the Minister of Justice, the Honourable Ron Basford, noted: The existence of fundamental human rights and freedoms, including the right of every individual to participate in society without. [...] The report recommended: That the Canadian Human Rights Commission be enabled to receive complaints about human rights violations of First Nations, including grievances related to the Indian Act; and that section 67 of the Human Rights Act be repealed, as requested insistently by various organizations, including the Human Rights Commission, to which the Government of Canada agreed in principle in 2 [...] The Declaration goes on to recognize “the inherent dignity and the unique contribution of indigenous people to the development and plurality of society” and to specify that: Considering the importance of the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous people, and the contribution of such promotion and protection to the political and social stability of the States in which such people live [...] The interpretation and application of the Canadian Human Rights Act in respect of the Westbank First Nation and Westbank Lands and Members shall take into account: a. the nature and purpose of this Agreement; and b. the entitlement of Westbank First Nation to provide programs and services either exclusively or on a preferential basis to Members, where justifiable; and c. the entitlement of Westban