May 31 - June 6, 2021

By Bruce McIvor and Cody O'Neil

This week's edition includes calls to action, calls for justice, colonizer statues, Treaty rights, TMX and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


Fishing rights remain front and centre in Mi’kma’ki

 

 

Child well-being is at the centre of a new agreement in Anishinaabe territory

 

 

Treaty rights and trespass were in the spotlight in Saskatchewan and Alberta

 

 

Salmon stocks and TMX were back in BC headlines

 

 

Calls for justice followed the federal government’s release of its MMIWG action plan

 

 

Calls to action on missing children and unmarked burials resounded across the country

 

 

Colonizer statues returned to national news

 

 

FROM THE COURTS


The Federal Court weighed in on a housing dispute

 

 

Cowichan Tribes’ Aboriginal title action is ongoing

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


“A mass grave is a crime scene, it is not a historic site or a heritage site.”

- Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


“We are guilty of many errors and faults, / but our worst crime is abandoning the children, / denying them the fountain of life…”

- Gabriela Mistral, “His Name is Today”

 

As part of our commitment to supporting the development of Indigenous lawyers, First Peoples Law offers an annual $5,000 scholarship to an Indigenous law student with a demonstrated commitment to serving and advancing the interests of Indigenous Peoples. Deadline: July 31, 2021.
In light of the recent announcement by Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc regarding the 215 children who were students at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, 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.
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.
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.
Check out our podcast featuring conversations on the defence of Indigenous rights!
Check out our free e-book Reconciliation on Trial: Wet'suwet'en, Aboriginal Title and the Rule of Law.
Your weekly news update on Indigenous rights from First Peoples Law.
First Peoples Law 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 principal of First Peoples Law Corporation. 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, and is a Fulbright Scholar. He is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation.