AUDITOR GENERAL REPORT ON CLEAN WATER IN FIRST NATIONS Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had no problem finding $7 billion dollars to buy Trans Mountain oil pipelines – so, where’s the money to pay for clean water pipelines in Indigenous communities? It may be hard to believe, but many First Nations in Canada still lack access…
Continue reading…about Canada Fails Again: First Nation Communities Without Clean Water
For decades, the families of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls and their communities; together with Indigenous women leaders and experts and allied human rights organizations, advocated for government action to end the crisis. Many families had called for a national inquiry, which was supported by various international human rights treaty bodies. After a…
Continue reading…about Transitional Justice Plan Urgently Needed to End Genocide in Canada
Dear social justice allies, Several weeks ago, I wrote an article for APTN News about the need for all levels of government to work with Indigenous governments and prison justice experts to develop a decarceration plan for Indigenous peoples to avoid a massive covid19 outbreak in prisons which would disproportionately impact Indigenous peoples. COVID-19 pandemic…
This blog is an excerpt of the speech that I gave at the Climate Tour with David Suzuki and Stephen Lewis, on October 4, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the University of Winnipeg on Treaty 1 territory. (Check against delivery). Kwe n’in telusi Pam Palmater. It is an honour to be here on Indigenous territory…
Continue reading…about A Modern Treaty to Save Our Peoples and The Planet
(Public domain image) Canada’s colonial objectives have always been to clear the lands…
Continue reading…about Overincarceration of Indigenous peoples nothing short of genocide
(Pam Palmater, photo by Ben Powless) As expected, the Assembly of First Nations was first out of the gate offering glowing praise for this Liberal government’s federal budget, followed shortly thereafter by the Metis National Council and…
Continue reading…about Federal Budget 2019: Indigenous Women and Children Left Behind – Again
(Picture of Sharon McIvor and I at the United Nations in Geneva) Sharon McIvor has won yet another landmark legal victory for First Nations women – this time at the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC). On January 14, 2019, the UNHRC released their decision which found that Canada still discriminates against “Indian” women and…
Continue reading…about What You Need to Know About Sharon McIvor’s Major UN Victory on Indian Status
*Originally published in Lawyer’s Daily on October 10, 2017 There is a long list of items that U.S. President Donald Trump has put on his “to kill” list, including Obamacare, Planned Parenthood, the Department of Education, immigration and most recently, NAFTA. Trump called the North American Free Trade Agreement the “worst trade deal ever made”…
Continue reading…about NAFTA 2.0 – Time to Get it Right or Kill It
Today, the United Nations Human Rights Committee released its Concluding Observations on Canada’s sixth report in relation to Canada’s compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (advanced unedited version). While it commended recent legislation adopted by individual provinces in relation to human rights, there was no overall commendation for Canada. In fact,…
Corporate Social Responsibility In the review, Canada stated that international treaties ratified by Canada are not binding law in Canada. Canada also stated that Canadian companies doing business abroad are expected to demonstrate Canadian values and follow applicable human rights laws. However, if the State does not consider ICCPR applicable law in Canada, then its…