Aug 16-22, 2023

By Bruce McIvor and Carlie Kane

This week’s edition includes jurisdiction, housing, MMIWG2S+ and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


Housing, jurisdiction and the AFN elections were in the national spotlight

 

 

Wildfires in the west continue to top headlines

 

 

Manitoba headlines continue to feature MMIWG2S+

 

 

Identity, consultation and Métis rights were front and centre in Ontario

 

 

BC headlines featured traditional harvesting and food security

 

 

In case you missed it, check out First Peoples Law's latest case comment on the Nuchatlaht decision by our colleagues Kate Gunn and Nico McKay

 

 

FROM THE COURTS


The Ontario Court of Appeal issued a decision regarding bylaw enforceability on an injunction restraining members of the Hiawatha First Nation from developing on reserve lands

 

 

The Ontario Court of Appeal also weighed in Métis rights and competing Indigenous interests

 

 

OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES


 

Check out these opportunities from West Coast Environmental Law and a podcast series from United States Institute of Peace.

 

RELAW Program at West Coast Environmental Law 

  • RELAW is hiring a RELAW Coordinator. Apply by September 15, 2023. 

  • RELAW Co-learning Program 2023-24 is accepting applications until September 27, 2023. Check out more information here.

 

Reconciliation, peace and inclusion podcast

  • United States Institute of Peace released a podcast series on inclusion and peacebuilding. Check out episode 3 on re-centering Indigenous Peoples and their worldviews within peace processes.

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


We just feel like our voices aren't being heard, but we have a duty as Algonquin, as a member of chief and council, to keep pushing these fights so that you hope that they get resolved in a proper way.

- Councillor Justin Roy, Kebaowek First Nation

 

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


Once again, Canada failed to uphold the rule of law when it rules in favour of Indigenous people

- Michelle Good, Truth Telling: Seven Conversations about Indigenous Life in Canada (2023)

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.