When Senator Lillian Eva Dyck presented a 20-page report to the Senate last month, she shone a hard spotlight on the lack of Indigenous consultation in the process of cannabis legalization.
Since then, several politicians have responded, including Anne McLellan, leader of the government’s cannabis task force. She told a Senate committee that she “made very sure that Indigenous individuals were invited” but “not everyone that was invited came”.
James Delorme, a member of B.C.’s Klahoose First Nation and a former chief, says he’s heard this kind of rhetoric before and fears Indigenous voices will continue to be forgotten in the legal landscape.
“It’s an old story based on a colonial system,” he says.
“If this government is really serious about building nation-to-nation relationships and supporting truth-and-reconciliation work, they need to go beyond statements.”
Delorme founded First Sky Media Group, which aims to preserve First Nations cultural identity through the use of modern technology—for example, using drones to explore traditional territories. Since becoming a cannabis user, however, he has expanded his mandate to include educating his people on the medicinal benefits of the plant.
Delorme believes cannabis offers a unique opportunity for nationwide Indigenous leadership by leveraging their understanding of holistic medicines. “Using traditional medicines is part of our DNA,” he says.
“As traditional people, we have always done that with the plants and herbs in our territories. It’s not a new idea for us, and we have a way of understanding cannabis that could expand on how non-Indigenous communities understand it.”
If their knowledge is properly tapped, he believes that healers and elders could champion the discussion around using cannabis as a treatment for a variety of conditions.
“The point people are missing is that we, First Nations people, are the original stewards of the land. It’s important we are consulted about how the process should take place, yet we’ve been left out of the conversation,” he says.
Brian Jones, a member of the Shishalh First Nation, hopes to highlight the forgotten Indigenous voices by empowering communities to share their traditional knowledge.
Transitioning from a career in politics and administration, Jones is in charge of First Nations relations at TLC Botanicals, an Indigenous-owned medical cannabis company in Fort Langley, B.C.
TLC consults First Nations groups looking to build licensed facilities and create medical-cannabis products.
“Our team connects with the communities…usually through the elders. The elders are the ones with the knowledge of the plants and herbs that can be used for medicines, and we share that [with other communities].”
Jones says the holistic knowledge within Indigenous communities could benefit all Canadians, but the problem is they don’t often have a platform to share their stories.
“If we can tell our story in a way that is going to positively impact others to understand the medicinal values associated with plants, cannabis being one of them, we have the potential to be leaders,” he says, adding the recent lack of political consultation highlights the need for more communication.
Earlier this month, the Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples came close to indefinitely halting the process of legalization, citing the lack of inclusion. Several members vowed to support a Conservative amendment, intending to stall the bill until the government addressed the concerns of Indigenous communities.
Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor and Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott responded with a letter promising reports to both houses of Parliament detailing ongoing efforts to include First Nations voices in the process.
They also pledged more funding be set aside for things like addiction-treatment programs and an increase in profit-sharing benefiting First Nations communities. It was enough to temporarily win back the support of the committee members and Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, is set to receive royal assent.
Jones says he hopes the government follows through on these promises and it’s not just more “tokenism”.
“I worked with a leader that always said: ‘Come walk with us to see why we’re still here,’ but not often does that actually happen,” he says.
“The government will write a letter or invite us to a roundtable, with no personal attachment to it, and they say they’ve done their consultation. That’s not enough to hear the concerns of our communities.”
