WATCH: BC Greens welcome 'collaboration' with First Nations on DRIPA, call on gov’t to address 'misinformation'

The BC Greens have welcomed Premier David Eby's decision to not suspend the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, better known as DRIPA, and instead collaborate with First Nations.

MLA Rob Botterell and leader Emily Lowan both noted, however, that the government has not done enough to combat "misinformation and fear-mongering." They called on those in power to improve transparency and direct people towards the truth.

"I think this is an important step after months and months of misinformation and fear-mongering and ineffective leadership," Lowan said during a post-Question Period press conference Monday. "This is a move towards effective collaboration, and something that the BC Greens heartily embrace."

She noted that while this is a step in the right direction, the government "has a lot of work to do" before the Fall session.

"I don't want this government to then come to the table this summer and hostilely damage relations with First Nations, pushing them to compromise on unnecessary amendments," Lowan said. "They now have an opportunity to repair this harm and chart a clear course forward."

She went on to quote former premier John Horgan, who said, "Reconciliation is not for wimps."

Botterell echoed her sentiments, adding that 25 years of experience in Indigenous law has taught him "consensus" on DRIPA can be reached via collaboration with First Nations.

“We dealt with these issues by working with First Nations closely," he said. "This is not out of the ordinary."

In response to a question from Sitka Media, Lowan addressed the issue of misinformation.

"What we’ve seen over the past six months is a complete failure on government education, public communication, and that truth telling on the reality of court decisions like the Cowichan and the Gitxaala," she said, "so now we have to do the much harder work of educating the public with real facts and resources."

Lowan said while the BC Greens are "focused on doing that," she'd like to see "a lot more action and funding from the government to do this at a province-wide scale."

She suggested that a "lack of transparency" has been the "core issue," and that simply publishing information on active Aboriginal title cases would go a long way.

"That path of hatred and division is an incredibly dangerous one, and the premier, for the last six months, has completely opened the door to that dangerous path, and now has a clear opportunity to change course."