July 26 - Aug 1, 2021

By Bruce McIvor and Cody O'Neil

This week's edition includes Aboriginal title, Treaty rights, water rights, court records, consultation, elections, food sovereignty and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


Treaty rights, Aboriginal title and hydropower topped headlines on the east coast

 

 

Land rights were front and centre in Haudenosaunee territory

 

 

In Ontario and Manitoba, “mercury justice” and wildfires were in the spotlight 

 

 

Court records and consultation were hot topics in Saskatchewan and Alberta

 

 

BC news included Treaty rights, logging, healthcare and more

 

 

Human rights and elections returned to national news

 

 

Lastly, check out the new Land Back edition of Rooted from McGill's Indigenous Law Association, including a piece on Indigenous laws and Canadian courts by our colleague Kate Gunn

 

 

FROM THE COURTS


The Ontario Superior Court of Justice weighed in on Aboriginal title and Treaty rights in Anishinaabe territory

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


"We are striving to restore what colonialism has and continues to take from our territories and kitchen tables, but justice is not possible without the reparation and restitution of our territories."

- Nicole Davies, “Indigenous agriculture is a Land Back issue”

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


"The game of reconciliation is fixed." 

- Joshua Nichols, A Reconciliation Without Recollection?: An Investigation of the Foundations of Aboriginal Law in Canada (2020)

 

SEE YOU AUGUST 15th


We're taking next week off. You'll get your next First Peoples Law Report Sunday, August 15th. See you then!

First Peoples Law is seeking a Director of Operations and Lawyer to join our growing team dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
In light of recent news, 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.
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.
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.