Feb 1-7, 2021

By Bruce McIvor and Cody O'Neil

This week's edition includes harvesting rights, water rights, Treaty rights, consultation, coal mining, child welfare, healthcare and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


Sipekne’katik First Nation is defending their Treaty rights in court

 

 

Harvesting rights were front and centre in Nunavut and the NWT

 

 

Consultation and forestry returned to Ontario headlines

 

 

Coal mining remains a hot topic in Alberta

 

 

Logging, water rights and systemic racism topped headlines in BC

 

 

First Nations continue to exercise their inherent jurisdiction in the face of COVID-19

 

 

Indigenous child welfare litigation is ongoing at the Federal Court

 

 

Land defence and pipelines are back in the spotlight on both sides of the colonial border

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


“We could not allow another year to pass without asserting our rights and supporting our community members as they endeavour to independently provide for their families.” 

- Chief Mike Sack, Sipekne’katik First Nation

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


"Not a lawyer that carries within him the debris of a poet." 

- Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary (1856)

 

 

First Peoples Law is the new editor of Annotated Aboriginal Law, 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.
Yesterday marked one year since the RCMP's invasion of Wet'suwet'en territory in 2020. Check out our free e-book, essays, podcast and reading list to get informed.
Check out our 2020 Indigenous Rights Year in Review covering Treaty rights, Aboriginal title, Supreme Court cases and more.
Check out our latest podcast episode "Reclaiming the Law: Indigenous Law Students in Conversation."
Looking to learn more about Indigenous rights in Canada? Check out our readings lists, including a new multimedia list!
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.
Your weekly news update from First Peoples Law.
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. Bruce is a proud Métis from the Red River in Manitoba. He holds a Ph.D. in Aboriginal and environmental history and is a Fulbright Scholar. 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.