May 30 - June 5, 2022

By Bruce McIvor and Cody O'Neil

This week’s edition includes Aboriginal title, Treaty rights, injunctions, harvesting rights, elections and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


Language rights remain front and centre in Quebec 

 

 

Land defence and recognition were in the spotlight in Ontario 

 

 

Treaty rights and land claims topped headlines in Manitoba and Alberta 

 

 

BC news included injunctions and Aboriginal title

 

 

Calls for Justice remain unanswered across the country

 

 

FROM THE COURTS


The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal weighed in on Métis harvesting rights 

 

 

The Ontario Superior Court ruled on an injunction application regarding land use on reserve 

 

 

The Federal Court issued an elections decision 

 

 

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.

FIRST PEOPLES LAW IN THE NEWS


Check out our colleague Kate Gunn's article in Constitutional Forum's special edition on the Dickson v. Vuntut Gwitchin case: "Towards a Renewed Relationship: Modern Treaties & the Recognition of Indigenous Law-Making Authority."

 

UPCOMING EVENTS


I’m looking forward to speaking at the “Current and Emerging Issues” conference this month hosted by the Federation of Community Social Services of BC in Penticton.

I'm honoured that my book, Standoff, is the central text for Osgoode Hall Law School's "In Search of Reconciliation Through Dispute Resolution." I'm looking forward to speaking to the class on July 19th. Learn more here.

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


"Really, these underlying issues are about land title and that's where government has its obligation...They need to step up and not just stay in the weeds." 

- Kris Statnyk 

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


"It is the assumption of superiority on which this country's history has been based that must change."

- Bev Sellars, Price Paid: The Fight for First Nations Survival (2016)

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.