This week’s edition includes modern treaties, federal legislation, Aboriginal title, the duty to consult and more.
IN THE NEWS
National news highlighted survivors, infrastructure gaps, federal legislation and a Métis modern treaty
Experiences of girls at Good Shepherd Homes similar to residential schools, say survivors | CBC News
Closing First Nations infrastructure gap could generate $635B: report | Toronto Star
Legislation aligning federal laws with Indigenous rights protections receives Royal Assent | Canadian Lawyer
Federal government to sign first-ever modern treaty with Métis | CBC News
British Columbia news included a historical apology, Aboriginal title and mining
Trudeau delivers in-person apology to B.C. First Nation | Grand Forks Gazette
UBCIC Alarmed as B.C. and Canada Appear to Choose Sides in Territorial Dispute Between Nations | UBCIC
Alaskan tribes take B.C. to court over northwest gold mine | CBC News
Clean drinking water, environmental concerns and land claim agreements made headlines in the North
Nearly half of Nunavut has been told to boil their water this year | CBC News
Yukon takes environment board to court over Peel watershed | APTN News
Yukon: Oath to King made optional after council refuses pledge | CTV News
Athabasca Denesuline, Ghotelnene K'odtineh Dene push ahead on land claims | NNSL Media
Treaty annuities and impact assessment legislation were front and center in Alberta
$5 treaty payments won't even buy Tim Hortons meal today, says Alberta First Nation in billion-dollar lawsuit | CBC News
Alberta taking federal government to court over revised impact assessment law | Canadian Press News
Policing was the top story in Manitoba
Inmates from North need more help, advocates say, after Nunavut man fatally shot by Winnipeg police | CBC News
In Ontario, headlines featured Truth and Reconciliation Day, nuclear waste and the duty to consult
Ontario won't support making Truth and Reconciliation Day a holiday for now: minister | CBC News
Northwestern Ontario communities chosen for Canada's nuclear waste storage site | CBC News
First Nation accuses Ontario of failing to consult on Timmins mine project | Northern Ontario Business
Indigenous consultation among legal risks to expediting Highway 413: draft cabinet doc | The Trillium
Aboriginal title was back in the spotlight in New Brunswick
J.D. Irving, other companies want to appeal decision that releases them from land claim | CBC News
HOT OFF THE PRESS
The Continuing Legal Education Society of BC published a new book on child and family services law. With a focus on Indigenous perspectives, Child and Family Services Law and Practice is a helpful guide for practitioners navigating child protection issues. The book is available in print or online. Check it out here.
In case you missed it, check out First Peoples Law’s latest blog post on Parks Canada's new Indigenous Stewardship Policy and what it means for Indigenous Peoples' law-making authority here: Indigenous Self-Determination & Canada’s National Parks.
FROM THE COURTS
Last week, the Federal Court weighed in on the First Nations Policing Program.
Canada (Attorney General) v. Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation, 2023 FC 26 | CanLII
First Nations policing gets boost from Supreme Court ruling | The Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation celebrates the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Closing the infrastructure gap is not just about addressing urgent needs of First Nations - it’s about building a stronger, more inclusive Canada that benefits us all.”
- National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Assembly of First Nations
OFF THE BOOKSHELF
I am at peace with the creation, and I give thanks to the Creator. I don’t ask for the sun to come up, for the trees to grow, for the rain to fall. I am just thankful that they are there and doing their job so we can go about our daily lives happily."
- Loran Thompson, “Fighting Back” in Nation to Nation: Aboriginal Sovereignty and the Future of Canada (2002)
