By bypassing the need for…

By bypassing the need for archaeological assessment outlined in the Heritage Act the Ontario Government would be actively paving over Indigenous Material Culture. Indigenous Peoples’ rights to have their history and culture protected is outlined in Article 11 of The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. Bill 5 schedule 7 is in direct conflict of Indigenous Peoples rights as outlined by the UN. As an archaeologist myself I see everyday how important this work is to Indigenous communities in Ontario, it gives them a chance to engage and learn with their history and culture, two things that Canada nearly robbed them of. Bill 5 would be just another piece of legislation in a long tradition of Canada attempting to exploit and erase Indigenous people. On top of the concerns about protecting Indigenous history, Bill 5 will cause detrimental damage to the environmental sector, thousands of archaeologists, Indigenous liaisons, and other workers in the environment sector will be left without a job. There will be a domino effect for the profits of hotel chains, vehicle rental businesses, hard ware stores and other business that these crews actively rely on. In conclusion, Bill 5, schedule 7 is a shortcut that may support development, but will have drastic impact not only on the rights of Indigenous People, but also put thousands in Ontario out of work. Thank you for hearing our concerns.