Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA and Official Opposition Critic for Indigenous Relations Scott McInnis and the B.C. Conservative Party are sounding the alarm about American First Nations attempting to leverage DRIPA to gain standing and influence inside B.C.

This alarm comes after they received multiple filings in the B.C. Supreme Court in which U.S.-based Indigenous tribes are relying on Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Interpretation Act to assert greater recognition of Aboriginal rights and direct involvement in British Columbia affairs, McInnis and the Conservatives outlined in a May 4 media release.

“This is a clear and growing sovereignty crisis,” McInnis said. “The Premier himself has referred to the DRIPA situation as an existential threat to British Columbia and has said amendments are non‑negotiable. We are now seeing exactly why.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that DRIPA is being weaponized in ways never transparently disclosed to British Columbians,” McInnis said.

“Allowing U.S. tribes to expand their reach into BC governance is deeply concerning and completely unacceptable.”

One notable case, brought by a group of Alaskan tribes, alleges insufficient consultation on the Eskay Creek Gold Mine in northwestern B.C. under the existing Section 7 DRIPA agreement between the NDP government and the Tahltan Nation, the media release pointed out.

“The obvious question is this,” McInnis said. “If an Alaskan tribe is granted the same legal status as a BC First Nation under DRIPA, will they then claim entitlement to B.C. mining revenues and provincial tax dollars? This government has no answer.”

The B.C. Conservatives are calling for the immediate repeal of DRIPA and the Interpretation Amendment Act to halt the escalating legal uncertainty.

“If this is not grounds for repeal, amendment, or suspension, I don’t know what is,” said McInnis. “DRIPA now threatens provincial and national sovereignty, while forcing B.C. First Nations into an untenable position, where their legal standing is equated with that of U.S. tribes.”

This follows another serious case involving the Sinixt Confederacy, a U.S.-based group seeking, and being granted, respondent status in litigation aimed at disrupting a critical mineral project in the B.C. Interior. The province voluntarily consented to the Sinixt’s participation.

“That decision was either deliberate or a stunning display of incompetence,” McInnis said. “There was no requirement to include a U.S. tribe, yet the government opened the door anyway.”

The proposed interior magnesium mine, co-developed by West High Yield Resources and the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB), is now caught in the crossfire, the B.C. Conservatives noted.

OIB Chief Clarence Louie raised serious concerns directly with the Attorney General in March 2026, stating this outcome is “the furthest thing possible from placing the interests of B.C. First Nations as the priority and primary focus.”

The B.C. Conservatives are demanding immediate action from the NDP government to neutralize DRIPA’s legal effects.

“If the government fails to act now, British Columbia risks permanently surrendering control over its resources, its legal processes, and its sovereignty to foreign interests,” McInnis concluded. “This cannot be allowed to continue.”

e-KNOW file photo

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