August 9-15, 2021

By Bruce McIvor and Cody O'Neil

This week's edition includes fishing, forestry, consent, contamination, education, Treaty rights and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


West coast news included fishing rights, forestry, Aboriginal title and more

 

 

Education and the Indian Act were in the spotlight in Alberta

 

 

Mine remediation returned to NWT news

 

 

Bruce presented at the Treaty 5 Summit in Cumberland House, Saskatchewan on Indigenous sovereignty along with Chief Derek Nepinak
 

 

Policing, specific claims and denialism topped Manitoba headlines

 

 

Consultation, contamination and healthcare were hot topics in Ontario

 

 

Consent, IBAs and Treaty rights were front and centre on the east coast

 

 

FROM THE COURTS


The New Brunswick Court of Appeal weighed in on harvesting rights

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


"We will not be brushed aside with meaningless statements of ‘commitments’ that have no substance. The Innu will fight for our rights as we have always done.” 

- Grand Chief Etienne Rich, Innu Nation

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


“We thought that maybe, if you watched how we lived, you might learn how to live in balance in this territory. The treaties that gave your family the right to occupy this territory were also an opportunity for you to learn how to live in this territory.”

- Harold Johnson, Two Families: Treaties and Government (2007)

First Peoples Law is seeking an experienced lawyer to join our growing team dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
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.
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.
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.
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.