December 30 - January 7, 2025

This week’s edition includes Jordan’s Principle, environmental assessments, UNDRIP, land defence and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


National news included copyright law and Jordan’s Principle

 

Artists could soon get royalties when their work is resold. Inuit artists think it's a good idea. | CBC News

What should Canada be doing to address the national Jordan’s Principle backlog? | APTN News

 

Historical archives were the top story in the Maritimes 

 

How adding names to archival images has been healing for people of We'koqma'q First Nation | CBC News

 

In Ontario, recognition of Indian Residential School Survivors and a court challenge made headlines 

 

Toronto opens Spirit Garden, a space for residential school survivors, in Nathan Phillips Square | CBC News

First Nation in Ontario challenging site of nuclear waste repository | APTN News

 

UNDRIP, a regulatory process and a potential new highway made news in the North 

 

First Nation accuses GNWT of violating UN Declaration over highway | Cabin Radio

Sahtu Secretariat supports interim licence for Imperial | Cabin Radio

Mackenzie Valley Highway ‘comes with problems but we need it’ | Cabin Radio

 

Land defence and an injunction were the top stories in Manitoba 

 

Site used for Indigenous ceremony, may have graves: protesters | APTN News

 

A human rights case topped news in British Columbia 

 

In B.C.'s top court, an Indigenous mother continues her fight for justice | APTN News

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


We cannot, and will not, sit idly by while laws are being broken and while our rights are being dishonoured.

Chief Kele Antoine, Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


We are product of the immense torque that propels this universe. We are not individuals but a great accumulation of all that lived before.

- Tanya Tagaq, Split Tooth, 2018 

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.