March 29 - April 4, 2023

By Bruce McIvor and Cody O'Neil

This week’s edition includes land defence, consent, Treaty rights, UNDRIP, the doctrine of discovery and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


The doctrine of discovery was in the spotlight across the country

 

 

My colleague Kate Gunn and I were also interviewed about the Catholic Church’s announcement 

 

 

BC news included land defence, UNDRIP and Indigenous protected areas 

 

 

Mining and Treaty rights topped Saskatchewan headlines

 

 

Consent and the Ring of Fire returned to Ontario news

 

 

Fracking and Indigenous rights were front and centre on the east coast 

 

 

National news also included Indigenous rights, child welfare and the federal budget 

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


The Vatican has profited exorbitantly from the suffering and subjugation of Indigenous peoples the world over; I call on the Vatican to follow through with repudiation by committing to substantive reparations for the centuries of harm done. Open the vaults!

- Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, UBCIC President

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


Reconciliation should not be a front for assimilation.

- John Borrows, “Domesticating Doctrines: Aboriginal Peoples after the Royal Commission” (2001)

 

SEE YOU SOON!


We’re taking next week off. You’ll get your next First Peoples Law Report on April 18th.

 

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