*This article was originally published in The Lawyer’s Daily on July 18, 2018. The Assembly of First Nations will hold its election for national chief on July 25 in Vancouver. Only the chiefs of the 634-plus First Nations are eligible to vote but most chiefs’ assemblies see less than half of those attend, and of…
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PLATFORM PROMISES NDP LIBERAL CONSERVATIVES Gov’mt to Gov’mt Relationship Yes, will sign accord, will work on stable revenue sources w First Nations (FNs) Yes, already have an accord L Land transfers back to First Nations L ? Will try to resolve land claims w FNs & Canada L Resource revenue sharing Yes, will share revenue…
*This article was originally published in Lawyer’s Daily on June 4, 2018 Prime Minister Trudeau and his Liberal Party have been taking a significant amount of heat for their collective failures to act on their substantive promises to First Nations — including, water, housing, education health and Aboriginal, treaty and land rights and title —…
Continue reading…about The First Nations’ Agenda in the Ontario Election
(Originally published in Lawyer’s Daily on May 15, 2017) It looks like those who advocated for the long-awaited national inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women and girls will be waiting a little while longer. Despite the promise from Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the national inquiry would be his first order of business,…
Continue reading…about Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Fatally Flawed
(Originally published in Lawyer’s Daily on April 17, 2017) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau swept the Liberals into power on Oct.19, 2015, with the support of Indigenous peoples who voted in record numbers. Trudeau’s election platform consisted of core promises made to the Chiefs in Assembly on July 7, 2015, which would include the review and…
Continue reading…about Nation to Nation Relations Need Repeal of Paternalistic Laws
“Millions promised for Indigenous kids is subsidizing mining companies, internal documents show”. This was the headline on March 2, 2017 which made me and many other people very angry. https://www.pressprogress.ca/millions_promised_for_indigenous_kids_is_subsidizing_mining_companies_internal_documents_show First of all, the Minister of Indigenous Affairs can’t be trusted to tell the truth and secondly, thousands of First Nation children end up in…
Continue reading…about New Government, Old Ways: Racism is STILL Killing Our People – Updated
Before being elected Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau told Canadians and First Nations that there was no more important relationship to him than the one with Indigenous peoples. To this end, he promised to engage with First Nations on a Nation-to-Nation basis where free, informed and prior consent means a veto. Once elected, he reiterated his…
Continue reading…about National Inquiry or National Disgrace? Trudeau’s Next Step is Critical
Before being elected Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau told Canadians and First Nations that there was no more important relationship to him than the one with Indigenous peoples. To this end, he promised to engage with First Nations on a Nation-to-Nation basis where free, informed and prior consent means a veto. Once elected, he reiterated his…
Continue reading…about National Inquiry or National Disgrace? Trudeau’s Next Step is Critical
This week, former Prime Minister Paul Martin, told the media that the failure to address the many overlapping crises faced by Indigenous peoples is not a problem with Canadians – Canadians are not racist. The problem is with Indigenous peoples – we are invisible. Martin further alleges that Canadians are “a generous people” that will…
Justin Trudeau will be sworn in as Prime Minister on November 4 and the question that seems to be dominating social media is whether or not he will appoint a First Nation person as the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC). Ever since contact, colonial officials sought out individual “Indians” to act…
Continue reading…about The Worst Thing That Could Happen is a First Nation Minister of AANDC