March 18 - 25, 2025

This week’s edition includes the new Indigenous Justice Strategy, land back, self-government, fisheries and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


National news included tariffs, Jordan’s Principle, and justice reform

 

Indigenous Services minister says economic reconciliation essential amid Canada-U.S. trade war | CBC News

Jordan's Principle funding for First Nations children being extended through 2026: Indigenous Services | CBC News

New Indigenous Justice Strategy aims to address overincarceration of Indigenous people | CBC News

 

Cultural preservation, land defenders, additions to reserve, land back, denialism, and fisheries made headlines in BC

 

B.C. Forests Ministry told to protect cultural sites | CTV News

Land defenders appeal TMX opposition pipeline sentence | APTN News

Doig River First Nation applies to add five parcels of land to reserve | Spare News | Penticton Herald

First Nation gets village site back from pulp company on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast | CBC News

FNLC Calls on Canada to Prioritize Legislation to Create Legal Protections against Residential School Denialism | UBCIC

Largest-ever Fisheries Act penalty will pay for First Nations-led Elk Valley recovery | Canada's National Observer: Climate News*

 

Traditional knowledge was the top stories in the Northwest Territories 

 

Pehdzéh Kı̨ seeks confidentiality for traditional knowledge on proposed Mackenzie Valley Highway | CBC News

 

Agricultural benefits were front and center in Saskatchewan 

 

Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation signs $630M settlement agreement with Ottawa | CBC News

 

In Manitoba, land defenders and flood recovery made the news

 

In 'Winnipeg,' land defenders fight to save a sacred forest: 'We’re not moving' | IndigiNews

Designs for Manitoba flood prevention project to be completed this spring: minister | Pembina Valley Online

 

Coerced sterilization and Treaty rights topped the headlines in Ontario

 

Senator plans to revive bill to outlaw forced sterilization | APTN News

First Nations have been excluded from tariff talks, breaching centuries old treaties | Rabble

 

Fisheries took the spotlight in the Maritimes

 

Mi’kmaw chosen for independent review of DFO incident | APTN News

Millbrook chief says no to federal limits on elver harvesting in 2025 | PNI Atlantic News

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


Our lands and waters have the ability to heal themselves. They just have to be given this space and the energy and the respect for that to happen.

Nasuʔkin (Chief) Heidi Gravelle, Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it (Tobacco Plains Band)

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


Everything is possible. The impossible just takes longer.

- Dan Brown, Digital Fortress (1998)

 

*Denotes an article that is paywalled and may require a subscription to access.

Check out and register for Bruce's upcoming online course, Law and Governance. This course is open to anyone and is part of the Haida Gwaii Institute's Micro-Certificate in Co-Management of Natural Resources.
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.