Nov 1-7, 2021

By Bruce McIvor and Cody O'Neil

This week's edition includes title and rights, policing, forestry, climate change, birth alerts, advance costs and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


It was Treaties Recognition Week in Ontario 

 

 

Also in Ontario, land defence and consultation were front and centre

 

 

Manitoba news included harvesting rights and the Sixties Scoop

 

 

Policing jurisdiction remains a hot topic in Alberta

 

 

Title and rights, forestry and birth alerts topped BC headlines 

 

 

Indigenous rights and climate change returned to international news

 

 

IN THE COURTS


The Ontario Court of Appeal weighed in on the province's appeals in the Restoule litigation.

 

 

It was an honour to represent the Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta at the Supreme Court in support of Beaver Lake Cree Nation's advanced cost appeal. First Peoples Law's Kate Gunn provided oral submissions. Check out our case backgrounder to learn more.
 

 

BENCHER ELECTIONS


We encourage all lawyers in BC to vote for the Indigenous lawyers running in the current Law Society of BC bencher elections.

 

BOOK LAUNCH!


Join Bruce and Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond (Aki Kwe) on Nov. 17th at 4pm pacific for the online launch of Bruce’s new book Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous Peoples and How to Fix It. Hosted by Massy Books: register here and pre-order your copy!
 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


”The status quo is shifting, and the theft and assimilation of Indigenous children through child removal systems will not be accepted without resistance.”

- First Nations Leadership Council

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


"Compose in darkness. / Expect aurora borealis / in the long foray / but no cascade of light."

- Seamus Heaney, "North" from North (1975)

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.
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, and is a Fulbright Scholar. He is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation.