May 28 - June 3, 2025

This week’s edition includes infrastructure legislation, the duty to consult, mining, Indigenous-Crown relations, and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


National news included the duty to consult, upcoming legislation, Indigenous-Crown relations, and addressing inequities in the Indian Act 

 

How do Indigenous rights fit into Carney's vision of 'one economy'? | APTN News  

First ministers meeting: Indigenous leaders again left out | CTV News 

Liberals table bill to skirt impact assessment law | CTV News 

Resource laws are changing fast, without consultation | APTN News 

Senate tables legislation aims to fix ‘Indian status’ inequities | APTN News 

 

Infrastructure legislation, consultation, environmental protection, and mining were the top stories in British Columbia

 

B.C.’s Bill 15 becomes law amid First Nations backlash | The Narwhal  

Indigenous leader pulls out of B.C. trade mission to Asia over Bills 14, 15 | CBC News 

Planning to dredge the Burrard Inlet to maximize oil shipments is underway | CBC News  

Why are First Nations closing B.C. parks? | The Narwhal 

New gold and silver mine officially opens in central B.C. as premier faces backlash for fast-track plans | CBC News

 

Free, prior, and informed consent was front and center in Alberta

 

Treaty Rights First! Alberta Needs First Nations’ Free, Prior, And Informed Consent To Separate | Alberta Native News  

Alberta premier pens letter to chiefs to support Alberta sovereignty 

 

The Throne speech was the top story in the prairies    

 

Throne speech ‘didn’t go far enough’ on Treaty rights, says Onion Lake chief | Northeast NOW

 

In Ontario, major project legislation, duty to consult and data sovereignty made headlines

 

Ontario to amend controversial Bill 5, add duty to consult provisions amid First Nations uproar | CBC News  

Broken trust and Bill 5: First Nations leaders at Queen’s Park | The Narwhal 

Indigenous community on Manitoulin Island gets a data centre to help preserve its cultural heritage | CBC News

 

Opposition to legislation took the spotlight in Quebec 

 

First Nations say Quebec legislation Bill 97 threatens environment | Global News  

 

Mining and consultation topped the news in the Maritimes

 

U.S. imperialism claws into Sisson as Northcliff/Todd stalls for time | NB Media Co-op  

Nova Scotia chiefs say province needs to improve consultation on natural resources | CBC News

 

FROM THE COURTS


The Alberta Court of Appeal weighed in on the right to appeal a judicial review decision 

 

Northback Holdings Corporation v Alberta Energy Regulator, 2025 ABCA 186

 

BEYOND THE NEWS


FPL is now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 articling year until June 30, 2025. Click below to learn more and apply! 

 

Articling Student | Careers | First Peoples Law LLP

 

Read the Seaboard Review of Books’ review here:

 

Indigenous Rights in One Minute by Bruce McIvor

 

Bruce’s Indigenous Rights in One Minute: What You Need to Know to Talk Reconciliation is available now! Click here to download a free excerpt from the book. Click here to order your copy from an independent bookstore near you.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS


Join Bruce for a discussion about his new book, Indigenous Rights in One Minute: What You Need to Know to Talk Reconciliation in Yellowknife on June 11th or in Vancouver on June 18th. Find more information here.  

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


We want to remind [King Charles] to continue to uphold and respect the treaty relationship that his great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria signed with us.

Vice Chief David Pratt, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


For leaders, the whiff of smoke to the north served as a reminder that decisions made in their councils were to be based on the principle ‘that the well-being of people took precedence over form, custom, and even tradition.'

- Basil Johnston, Ojibway Heritage (1976) 

 

Bruce McIvor provides the answers and context to support a thoughtful and respectful national conversation about reconciliation and the fulfillment of Canada’s commitment to a better future for Indigenous people.
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.
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.
Dr. Bruce McIvor, lawyer and historian, is senior 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, Manitoba 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 two books on Indigenous rights: Indigenous Rights in One Minute: What You Need to Know to Talk Reconciliation (2025) and Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It (2021). He is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation.