Rob Clarke explains why the Indian Act needs a serious makeover
KayCie Gravelle | Fulcrum Staff
Conservative Member of Parliament Rob Clarke discussed First Nations issues and his ideas regarding the amendment of the Indian Act with members of the University of Ottawa community on March 5.
Café Alt offered an intimate atmosphere for the approximately 30 people who came to listen to Clarke talk about his life, law enforcement career, and political views.
Clarke, who is part of the Muskeg Lake First Nation, was born and raised in British Columbia and has broken through a lot of barriers to get to where he is today.
He grew up in a non-Aboriginal community and attended the College of New Caledonia where he served as vice president of the student association during his two years of post-secondary school.
Clarke joined the RCMP at the age of 22 and in 2006 became the service’s first Aboriginal person to be in charge of their own non-Aboriginal officer detachment.
In 2008 Clarke was given the opportunity to run for a byelection, a race he didn’t think he would win.
“When you’re given the opportunity to get elected into the House of Commons and make a decision and look into the process of crime, crime bills, and legislation, you’ve got to have a vision,” Clarke said. “You’ve got to have morals and credibility. I was given the opportunity to run in 2008; I wasn’t supposed to win.”
In order to run in the byelection, Clarke took leave without pay for three months, returned to work for a month, and then took another leave for an additional three months.
During his campaign, the biggest issue for Clarke was the Indian Act, which he feels is outdated and needs to be amended. “[The Indian Act] creates a paternalistic approach to a group that shouldn’t be treated like that in Canada,” he said.
After winning the election in 2008, Clarke went to work trying to modernize the Indian Act. He met with hundreds of Aboriginal leaders who expressed the desire to get rid of the Indian Act and replace it with something else. Clarke told them it was up to them to take a stand and decide what they wanted to replace it with.
In December 2011, Clarke took his first official step toward changing the act by filing a private member’s bill (Bill C-428). His plan is simple: he wants to amend the act, repeal the outdated sections, and implement a process that would have the government consulting with First Nations people on a yearly basis in order to properly represent their needs.
Clarke believes this issue is one that affects every generation.
“The only way you can see any true partnership in the future is by addressing the issues of today,” Clarke said when asked why students should care about Bill C-428.
“For our future we’re going to be looking for economic partnerships with First Nations because they’re the largest-growing population in Canada,” Clarke said. “Let’s get rid of this legislation so we can form proper relations with them without having to get a minister’s approval.”
