November 1 - 7, 2022

By Bruce McIvor and Geneva Lloyd

This week’s edition includes treaty rights, self-governance, fisheries, access to health care and more. 

 

IN THE NEWS


Manitoba headlines included systemic racism and access to health care 

 

 

Inherent rights and Indigenous governance returned to Saskatchewan headlines 

 

 

Ontario headlines featured treaty rights and a life-long fight for systemic change 

 

 

Old-growth logging was front and centre in BC 

 

 

Self-governance and a groundbreaking prosecutor’s office were in the spotlight in Alberta 

 

 

Fisheries were back in the news on the east coast 

 

 

NWT news included Indigenous rights and conservation 

 

 

Quebec news featured a court-ordered halt to excavation work  

 

 

Child welfare was back in the national spotlight

 

 

FROM THE COURTS


The BC Supreme Court weighed in on a First Nation’s fiduciary obligations 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


First Nations hold inherent rights to the land and natural resources of Canada, they are not stakeholder groups.

Office of the Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


The trees act not as individuals, but somehow as a collective. Exactly how they do this, we don’t yet know. But what we see is the power of unity. What happens to one happens to us all. We can starve together or feast together.

- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass (2013) 

 

 

We are excited to announce Westaway Law Group joined First Peoples Law LLP on October 1, 2022. The newly expanded First Peoples Law LLP creates a national boutique firm specializing in Indigenous rights and working exclusively for First Nation clients.
We are providing a list of resources for anyone looking to get informed about the truth of Residential Schools shared by Survivors across the country. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list. We would welcome any feedback or recommendations.
Bruce McIvor's clear, plain answers to frequently asked questions about Indigenous rights.
Faced with a constant stream of news reports of standoffs and confrontations, Canada’s “reconciliation project” has obviously gone off the rails. In this series of concise and thoughtful essays, lawyer and historian Bruce McIvor explains why reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is failing and what needs to be done to fix it.
First Peoples Law is the author of Annotated Aboriginal Law, previously authored by legendary law professor Shin Imai for over two decades. The book includes hundreds of annotations of significant court decisions and federal legislation regarding Indigenous rights in Canada. We hope it continues to be a useful resource for Indigenous Peoples defending and advancing their rights across the country.
Check out our podcast featuring conversations on the defence of Indigenous rights.
Your weekly news update on Indigenous rights from First Peoples Law.
First Peoples Law LLP is a law firm dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. We work closely with First Nations to defend their Aboriginal title, rights and Treaty rights, uphold their Indigenous laws and governance and ensure economic prosperity for their members.
Bruce McIvor, lawyer and historian, is partner at First Peoples Law LLP. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law where he teaches the constitutional law of Aboriginal and Treaty rights. A member of the bar in British Columbia and Ontario, Bruce is recognized nationally and internationally as a leading practitioner of Aboriginal law in Canada. Bruce's ancestors took Métis scrip at Red River in Manitoba. He holds a law degree, a Ph.D. in Aboriginal and environmental history, is a Fulbright Scholar and author of Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It. He is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation.