March 7-13, 2022

By Bruce McIvor and Cody O'Neil

This week’s edition includes specific claims, coal mining, caribou, night hunting, Charter rights, Aboriginal title, protected areas and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


Wildlife management and Aboriginal title topped headlines on the west coast

 

 

Alberta news included specific claims, caribou and Treaty rights

 

 

Treaty rights were also front and centre in Manitoba with our client Peguis First Nation challenging restrictions on night hunting 

 

 

Consultation and mining returned to Ontario headlines

 

 

Land-based learning was in the spotlight on the east coast 

 

 

National news included Charter rights, drinking water and protected areas

 

 

FROM THE COURTS


This is a good decision regarding affidavits in duty to consult judicial reviews in Alberta

 

 

WELCOME TO THE TEAM!


We’re excited to welcome lawyer Tumia Knott, spaləl̕ to our team at First Peoples Law! We're looking forward to working together and learning from you, Tumia.

 

FIRST PEOPLES LAW IN THE NEWS


Congratulations to the entire team for contributing to First Peoples Law being named in the top rank of Aboriginal law firms, and to Jennifer Griffith, Kate Gunn, Merrill Shepard and Allan Donovan for being named by Lexpert as leading practitioners in Aboriginal law in BC!

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


“Indigenous women have always been on the front lines, as land defenders and as warriors in the fight to end gender-based violence. Together we stand united as relatives in defense of our lands and one another."

Melissa Moses, UBCIC Women’s Representative

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


"But words live in the spirit of her face and that / sound will no longer yield to imperial erase..."

- June Jordan, "A Song for Soweto" in Lyrical Campaigns (1989)

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.
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.
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.