Sept 6-12, 2023

By Bruce McIvor and Carlie Kane

This week’s edition includes Treaty rights, land stewardship, reconciliation, access to health care and more. 

 

IN THE NEWS


Treaty rights and duty to consult returned to Ontario headlines 

 

 

Land stewardship topped BC news 

 

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East coast news featured education and Treaty rights 

 

 

Constitutional reform and reconciliation in Australia were in the spotlight 

 

 

Headlines in the prairies included food security, access to health care and land rights

 

 

FROM THE COURTS


The Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories issued a new decision regarding harvesting activities under the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement.

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


We are united to claim rights that have never been extinguished to the land and the resources...We will not stop until we have secured the future of our next seven generations. 

- Chief Erica Beaudin, Cowessess First Nation

 

OFF THE RECORD


And yet where in your history books / is the tale of the genocide basic to this country’s birth? 

- Buffy Sainte-Marie, “My Country ‘Tis of Thy People You’re Dying” from Medicine Songs 

First Peoples Law's Kate Gunn is co-chairing the Pacific Business & Law Institute's Indigenous Rights Beyond Borders program on October 19, 2023 in Vancouver, BC. Kate will be presenting on the implications of the Blueberry River decision while Bruce McIvor will be discussing key challenges and opportunities on multi-jurisdictional projects. Attendees can join in-person or virtually. Sign up for two PBLI Indigenous programs before September 14 and get 50% your second registration fee with the promo code LEARN2GROW.
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.