This petition calls on the federal government to strengthen Bill C-37 (First Nations Clean Water Act) by recognizing clean drinking water as a human right, fully aligning the bill with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and committing sufficient funding to make it real.
First Nations communities would have a legally recognized right to clean drinking water on all their lands — not just reserves — backed by real government funding.
Sponsored by Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre) · New Democratic Party
Read the petition text
The Government of Canada is legally obligated under the 2021 Safe Drinking Water for First Nations class action settlement agreement to introduce legislation that upholds First Nations’ equal right to clean, safe drinking water;
The Liberal government’s Bill C-37, the First Nations Clean Water Act, falls significantly short of this legal obligation, failing to recognize the human right of all First Nations individuals to clean drinking water;
Bill C-37 limits First Nations’ jurisdiction and authority over water to RESERVE LANDS ONLY, excluding lands over which Aboriginal title is claimed by a First Nation, or has been confirmed by a court;
The Liberals have excluded Article 25 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples from Bill C-37 to bypass First Nations’ rights in Modern Treaties and in traditional lands and territories; and
Just like in Bill C-5, Bill C-37 is part of a broader trend of the Carney Liberal government repeatedly violating Indigenous Constitutional and Treaty rights and ignoring their duty to consult and obtain the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples.
We, the undersigned,residents of Canada and First Nations,, call upon theGovernment of Canadato amend Bill C-37 to recognize the human right of all First Nations individuals to clean drinking water, to be compliant with ALL articles of UNDRIP, and to commit sufficient funding to ensure the right to clean water is upheld in practice.