The Aboriginal Commission on Human Rights and Justice was established to advocate for Aboriginal human rights in Alberta. It has heard the stories and seen the impact of human rights violations against Aboriginal people – particularly through discrimination. It has witnessed the complexity in addressing discrimination that exists in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, including personal attitudes, which is difficult to name and to address. It has also seen discrimination in systems and structures such as public policies, which is equally difficult to address. The Aboriginal Commission on Human Rights and Justice is aware of the frequency of incidences of discrimination, but it has also noted that Aboriginal people tend not to report discrimination through formal mechanisms currently available to all Albertans.
It is because of this gap between occurrence and reporting of human rights injustices and discrimination that the Commission initiated this research to inform and engage Aboriginal people and all Albertans on this significant issue.
The goal of uncovering, addressing, and ending discrimination is to ensure that Aboriginal people can contribute and participate fully in the social, cultural, political, and economic life of the province while maintaining unique identities, histories, traditions, languages, and rights that characterize First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people and communities throughout Alberta and Canada. The lessons from Aboriginal people in Canada can also strengthen human rights collaborations with Indigenous peoples around the world – perhaps through the now ratified Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.
This research is a first step in creating a more complete Aboriginal human rights story in Alberta that will be used to expose issues, to develop policy, and to inform community race relations. It will create a foundation from which meaningful community strategies and programming can be created to address Aboriginal human rights issues.
Download the ACHRJ Annual Report
