B.C. Premier David Eby has backed down on promised amendments to the province’s landmark Indigenous rights law slated for this spring. In a major reversal, his government will instead take the next six months to seek a resolution with Indigenous leaders. For weeks, the Premier has been embroiled in a crisis over his “non-negotiable” plans to change the law, a proposal that has drawn fierce opposition from the province’s First Nations leaders. Mr. Eby’s determination to make legislative changes this spring has been bruising to his leadership, and on Monday he conceded it was a mistake. Mr. Eby first raised the alarm in December after the BC Court of Appeal ruled that a law related to mineral exploration was “inconsistent” with the government’s obligations under the Indigenous rights law to uphold the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, or UNDRIP. He insisted his NDP government needed to act with urgency to remove legal liability to other provincial statutes. The First Nations Leadership Council, which represents the top three political First Nations organizations in B.C., held an emergency meeting over the weekend after being told the government was planning to table proposed changes this week. Mr. Eby said Monday that he changed his mind after B.C. Attorney-General Niki Sharma brokered an alternative. He told reporters his government and First Nations will form a working group to address his concerns about the court decision #BCPoli #UNDRIP #BritishColumbia #Canada