With Bill 209, MLA Brooks Arcand-Paul brings humility to the province

MLA Brooks Arcand-Paul

By Laura Mushumanski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(ANNews) – “It is not easy bringing understanding of reconciliation into action,” said MLA Brooks Arcand-Paul when asked about Bill 209: Reconciliation Implementation Act.

Within the understanding of Indigenous Knowledge, bringing reconciliation into action involves an emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual journey of slowing down to really listen, engaging in introspection, and walking with new knowledge by putting it into action. This becomes a way of knowing and understanding the world differently. In this case, the reconciliation principles within Bill 209 provide an overview of how to advance reconciliation and put it into action; how to go about supporting community in a good way through acts, thoughts, and walks of humility.

Before Bill 209 was introduced on November 4, 2024, First Nations Edmonton-West Henday MLA Brooks Arcand-Paul met with the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs within Alberta to talk about how as leaders, they can collectively support legislation that implements reconciliation into the Alberta Government. Reconciliation within Bill 209 also supports the Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) 94 Calls to Action report that was implemented in 2015.

“[I] don’t see a lot of humility [within legislation],” noted the MLA. “I try to keep it as a core.”

Arcand-Paul understood the importance of meeting with the Assembly Treaty Chiefs to discuss how to support community and bring Indigenous law understandings and principles into Bill 209. The importance of this was to build treaty relations with Indigenous Nations and Non-Indigenous people through legislation, so in turn Indigenous peoples and communities can be supported in accordance with the TRC reconciliation principles. With respect to the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs, Arcand-Paul heard about the Indigenous peoples’ principles of walking in a good way, directly related to the Seven Sacred Teachings: Love, Respect, Courage, Truth, Honesty, Humility, and Wisdom.

The purposes of the Bill 209: Reconciliation Implementation Act are embedded in the understandings of reconciliation as an action towards holding the Alberta Government accountable and responsible to advance delivery of program and services for Indigenous peoples to support their livelihood and well-being. This also includes reconciliation principles as stated in the TRC 94 Calls to Action—that all Government decisions be made in accordance with these principles. There needs to be transparency by the Alberta Government to establish and report on measures taken that coincide with the calls to action, respectively, and to follow through with engaging in meaningful and honourable consultation where any decisions are guided by the Supreme Court of Canada.

These purposes outline how the Alberta Government can engage in reconciliation as an understanding of how to acknowledge Indigenous ways of knowing, being, doing, and understanding that directly impacts community, ecological relationships as sustainable knowledge in how to engage in the continuation of life for all that reside on Mother Earth, including the water and how it gifts us life. These reciprocal relationships and understanding are an understanding of how to walk with knowledge and go about sharing and conducting policies within Government in a good way.

Part of why Arcand-Paul brought Bill 209 into legislation was not only to “bring Cree levity into legislation” but also to “bring more humanness nehiyawe into space.”

The nehiyawe lawyer, Arcand-Paul wanted to make a big change and bring his connection to culture and sacred teachings including Blackfoot Ways of Knowing to the province – things that were lacking within the Alberta Government, “a decolonial radical act of love [in] a meaningful and fulsome way.”

While this bill will be the first of its kind, reconciliation principles are factored into how Bill 209 is to be implemented. The principles are intended to advance reconciliation, guided by the Seven Sacred Teachings, with the understanding of respecting Indigenous Nations and Indigenous Peoples. These principles also include the Alberta Government acknowledging the historical impacts of Indigenous peoples and their rights including inherent rights of Indigenous peoples, as well as aboriginal and treaty rights both recognized and affirmed in section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. These principles are to also respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples when decisions are made by the Supreme Court of Canada. Further, practices and legal traditions, Indigenous Peoples’ languages and cultures should be purposeful and respectful. Inquiry between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples should result in deeper understanding of historical and current relationships, and commitment to concrete and constructive actions that improve relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

These principles are embedded in what Arcand-Paul speaks to about bringing humility and humanness into legislation, as a way to support Indigenous peoples that coincide with the 94 Calls to Action to create an equitable approach to engaging in good relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. In respect to both purposes and principles, Bill 209 emphasizes on Indigenous worldviews embedded in respect for one another, humility as in being a good relative and supporting one another including Mother Earth and wahkohtowin understanding of ‘we take care of each other,’ and the ongoing understanding of walking in a good way as a process and learning journey of action and accountability.

While moving in the direction of Truth and Reconcili-action, these steps embedded within the Bill 209: Reconciliation Implementation Act are necessary for the provincial government of Alberta to do better by Indigenous Peoples as an act of humility so future generations can thrive in all aspects of life—together.

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