Ms. Sayers, I share your deep frustration with the previous government's treatment of indigenous people. I also share your hope for a true nation-to-nation relationship with our current government, and I think that this agreement is a large piece of their true intention.
According to reports, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli Corpuz, stated in an interview that the major issue with the TPP is “the clause of non-discrimination between a local and an international investor”. The TPP “grants more rights to transnational firms, often at the expense of indigenous rights”. The interview goes on to say, “This is a crucial issue, she argued, as most of the remaining natural resources available on earth are located on indigenous lands—because protecting them is part of the indigenous culture, or because they are located on remote lands.”
Could you expand on how the TPP's ISDS provisions may impact indigenous people's ability to defend the land and water, and the interests of future generations?