July 20-26, 2020

By Bruce McIvor 

 

This week's edition includes Charter rights, Treaty rights, systemic racism, energy sovereignty, policing, pipelines, Columbus statues and more.

 

IN THE NEWS


Policing, pipelines and energy sovereignty were all hot topics in BC

 

 

Consultation and flooding were front and centre in Saskatchewan and Manitoba

 

 

A Treaty infringement action is ongoing in Wolastoqey territory

 

 

Calls continue for an inquiry into systemic racism in New Brunswick

 

 

Colonizer statues and sports teams were back in the headlines

 

 

FROM THE COURTS


The Federal Court of Appeal weighed in on the duty to consult regarding a fish transfer license in ‘Namgis territory

 

 

The Ontario Court of Appeal declared certain provisions of the Criminal Code discriminatory against Indigenous people

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK


“Our young women are over-represented in the prisons across this country, largely as a result of the legacy of historical wrongs committed against our people. The courts must be given options to keep them out of the correctional system whenever possible.”

President Lorraine Whitman, Native Women’s Association of Canada

 

OFF THE BOOKSHELF


“Fools talk, cowards are silent, wise men listen.”

Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind (2001)

 

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.
Check out our new podcast on the defence of Indigenous rights. In our first episode, my colleague Kate Gunn and I discuss our new e-book Reconciliation on Trial: Wet’suwet’en, Aboriginal Title and the Rule of Law.
Check out our new e-book: Reconciliation on Trial: Wet'suwet'en, Aboriginal Title and the Rule of Law.
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Bruce McIvor
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.