Eby ‘moving forward’ with First Nations after latest climbdown on Indigenous law

VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says that “moving forward together” with First Nations leaders is now his top priority, explaining why he withdrew plans to table legislation to suspend key parts of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act on Monday.

Eby, who previously angered First Nations leaders by saying that changing DRIPA was “non-negotiable,” has told reporters he would have liked to have been “right the first time” on the Indigenous law, but he was not.

The premier and the First Nations Leadership Council also issued a joint statement, which Eby read out, saying the government won’t be introducing legislation to suspend or amend DRIPA during this legislative session.

It says the government and the council “are committed to working together with all First Nations leaders” to consider the government’s legal concerns about the declaration act, “while upholding the title and rights and human rights of First Nations.”

Eby has said that a December court ruling meant that DRIPA — which was intended to reflect the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples — put the province at significant legal risk.

But his government has repeatedly walked back its plans to amend or pause parts of DRIPA in the face of First Nations opposition.

“Together, we commit to genuine collaboration to find solutions as soon as possible, and before the fall legislative session,” the joint statement says.

Eby called the issue of DRIPA “probably the most challenging issue I’ve worked on in government.”

“It is absolutely possible as a leader to move off confidently in the wrong direction,” he said.

Eby, whose government has a one-vote majority and three Indigenous MLAs, said he believed he would have had the numbers to pass suspension legislation had it been tabled on Monday.

But he says the agreement with the First Nations Leadership Council “enables us to do the work to jointly develop” a long-term solution.

“There is no guarantee, simply because we reach this agreement that come the fall legislative session, that we will have that agreement, but I’m certainly hopeful that we will and this agreement to move forward together is the precondition to be able to get there,” he told reporters.

Eby’s latest decision comes after weeks of flip-flopping by the B.C. government over DRIPA.

The premier has said the December ruling from the B.C. Court of Appeal on the province’s mining regime forces the government to incorporation the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into all its laws, something he compared to eating an elephant.

First Nations have been outspoken in their opposition to any changes, and a proposal on Sunday for a one-year suspension was swiftly rejected, then withdrawn.

A letter issued by the Assembly of First Nations had called on all MLAs to vote against the proposed suspension legislation.

“First Nations around the province have made their position clear — attempts to unilaterally suspend or repeal DRIPA and the Interpretation Act will invite legal challenges,” it said.

The letter also warned government of “collective resistance from First Nations and allies across the province.”

Eby’s government issued a statement late Sunday saying it was backing away from any plan for changes, and sources said it had instead presented First Nations leaders with a document on how to work together to implement DRIPA.

The document provided to The Canadian Press by a First Nations leadership source says there is “no commitment to either a) make amendments, or b) not make amendments to DRIPA.”

The document, which is subject to a non-disclosure agreement, outlines how discussions between the government, First Nations and other stakeholders could take place.

It says that it will “focus on reaching a shared understanding of how legislative alignment (with DRIPA) could most effectively work, in a manner led by First Nations and government but supported by the courts.”

The first meetings could take place within two weeks of the process being announced, the document says.

Opposition Conservative member Scott McInnis said on social media Sunday that the premier can’t make a decision.

“This is the worst leadership in any capacity I’ve ever seen.”

Conservatives are seeking a full repeal of DRIPA, while the two B.C. Green MLAs oppose any changes to the landmark legislation.

Eby took the blame for the government’s shifting positions.

“I accept the responsibility of taking us in different directions, trying to find that path to respond to these court decisions,” he said on Monday.

“I did not believe that it would take what it has taken to be able to get to this point, but I believe this is the first step toward reaching that lasting solution.”

— With files from Alessia Passafiume in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2026.