July 4-10, 2022

By Bruce McIvor and Cody O'Neil

This week’s edition includes land defence, language rights, Treaty rights, protected areas, systemic racism, consent and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


Language rights and protected areas were hot topics on the east coast

 

 

Gaming and Indigenous rights returned to Ontario headlines 

 

 

Treaty rights were front and centre again in Saskatchewan

 

 

Land claims and consultation were in the spotlight in the NWT and Yukon

 

 

BC headlines included Indigenous jurisdiction and land defence 

 

 

Systemic racism and child welfare were back in national news 

 

 

In case you missed it, check out our colleague Kate Gunn’s new post on consent-based decision-making

 

 

FROM THE COURTS


The Federal Court of Appeal weighed in on last year’s decision regarding the duty to consult and economic interests 

 

 

THANKS FOR DROPPING BY!


Thanks to everyone who dropped by the First Peoples Law booth at the AFN AGA for a chat, book and t-shirt this week!

APPLY NOW! 2022 INDIGENOUS LAW STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP


As part of our commitment to supporting the development of Indigenous lawyers, First Peoples Law offers an annual scholarship to an Indigenous law student with a demonstrated commitment to serving and advancing the interests of Indigenous Peoples.

Applications for this year's $10,000 scholarship are now open! Click here to apply. 

You can also meet past recipients and download a poster on our website.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


"We have to begin to force change, change on the ground. It's in our DNA."

- Chief Joe Alphonse, Tŝilhqot’in National Government Tribal Chair

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self-Reliance" in Essays: First Series (1841) 

First Peoples Law is seeking additions to our growing team dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
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.
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.
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.
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.