January 15 - 21, 2025

This week’s edition includes child welfare, transborder relations, mining, healthcare and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


National news included the federal elections, forced sterilization, a court action, and transborder relations

 

Advocates hope a new national registry will reveal extent of Indigenous sterilization | CBC News

Caring Society files motion to force feds back to negotiating table | APTN News

Trudeau asks Indigenous leaders in Canada for help standing up to Trump | CBC News

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak Meets with Prime Minister Trudeau on Canada-U.S. Trade Relations | Assembly of First Nations

 

Land protection, healthcare, and child welfare made headlines in Ontario

 

The frontlines of an Ontario mining boom | The Narwhal

‘Milestone’ deal reached with 15 First Nations on Ring of Fire mining development | Ricochet

Anishinabek Nation and Ontario Health sign Relationship Protocol to enhance health and wellness | Anishinabek News

First Nations in Ontario say they don’t have to consult with anyone on child welfare deal with Ottawa | APTN News

 

In Manitoba, a lawsuit against health authorities was front and center

 

Cree man suing Manitoba health authorities over botched diagnosis | APTN News

 

The top story in Alberta included environmental rights 

 

Indigenous climate advocates say tailings spills study confirms what they already know | Alberta Native News

 

Wildlife & resource stewardship, and election bylaws made the news in the North

 

N.W.T. regulator starting process that could grant Imperial Oil emergency water licence | CBC News

Lawyer says N.W.T. Court of Appeal decision on Colville Lake caribou plans follows trend | CBC News

YESAB recommends Whitehorse dam relicensing | APTN News

N.W.T. Supreme Court upholds Gwich'in Tribal Council election result | CBC News

 

The top stories in BC included procurement practices, human rights, and UNDRIP

 

First Nations entrepreneur testifies in Parliament on Indigenous procurement | The Williams Lake Tribune

Human Rights Tribunal misses deadline in discrimination case | APTN News

FNLC Extremely Disappointed with Mineral Claim Consultation Framework, Calls for Redoubling of Efforts to Align the Mineral Tenure Act with the UN Declaration | UBCIC

 

FROM THE COURTS


The Ontario Superior Court of Justice weighed in on the duty to consult 

 

Wabauskang First Nation v. R, 2025 ONSC 316

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


We all have to stand together and be strong [...] and make sure that we're building relationships here in this country.

- National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Assembly of First Nations

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.

- Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, 1952

First Peoples Law is the author of Indigenous Peoples and the Law in Canada: Cases and Commentary. 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.
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.
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.
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.