In a move that calls into question the Canada Border Services Agency’s commitment to reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, the CBSA Indigenous Affairs Secretariat recently made known its intention to do away with the eight Regional Indigenous Affairs Advisors (RIAAs) positions currently playing a key role as liaison between CBSA and Indigenous people.
Since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report in 2015, much has been said about the need for concrete actions to be taken to mend the relationship with Indigenous communities. Reconciliation takes time and cannot be accomplished overnight, and rebuilding trust with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities requires genuine and sustained efforts.
Within CBSA, Regional Indigenous Affairs Advisors (RIAAs) play a core role in ensuring the Agency is equipped to rebuild this trust and work toward reconciliation. These advisors act as an important point of contact for Indigenous communities to help address issues around border processes — including the rematriation/repatriation of sensitive cultural items — and they help bridge the gap between CBSA and Indigenous leaders.
By cancelling the regional advisor positions effective April 16, CBSA will be shifting the responsibility of engaging with Indigenous communities from designated advisors to regional management as a whole. In doing so, CBSA is rejecting important expertise, willfully weakening its ability to maintain proper engagement with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people across Canada, and undermining the work performed by RIAAs until now. In short, by relying on untrained regional management to engage in delicate reconciliation work without adequate support, it is signaling that reconciliation itself is far from a priority for the Agency.
Reconciliation efforts demand serious commitment on the part of those involved, and reestablishing the trust between CBSA and Indigenous people is essential to heal the past and to move forward. The Customs and Immigration Union urges CBSA to genuinely commit to reconciliation and reconsider its decision to cancel the Regional Indigenous Affairs Advisors positions.
