Dec 13-19, 2021

By Bruce McIvor and Cody O'Neil

This week's edition includes Treaty rights, trespass laws, land claims, language revitalization, calls to action and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


West coast news included UNDRIP, land defence and logging

 

 

Treaty rights, trespass laws and buffalo were in the spotlight in Saskatchewan 

 

 

Land claims and child welfare were front and centre in Ontario 

 

 

Aboriginal title returned to east coast news 

 

 

Charter rights and land use were hot topics in the Yukon and NWT 

 

 

Calls to action and systemic racism were back in national news

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


"The children, which are our future, we want to ensure that we have something in place for them.”

- Chief George Cote, Cote First Nation

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


“How swiftly the strained honey of afternoon light flows into darkness...”

- Lisel Mueller, “In Passing” in Alive Together (1996)

 

SEE YOU IN 2022!


You’ll receive your next First Peoples Law Report on January 9th. Until then, keep an eye out for our “Indigenous Rights Year in Review” countdown on our social media from December 27th to 31st!

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 new podcast episode featuring a conversation between First Peoples Law's Indigenous Law Student Scholarship winners!
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.
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, and is a Fulbright Scholar. He is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation.