*Originally published in Globe & Mail Feb. 27, 2020 CANADA’S INDIAN POLICY HASN’T CHANGED MUCH After the events of the past few weeks in Canada, one thing remains clear: Canada’s Indian policy hasn’t changed much since its inception. Indian policy has always had two objectives: to obtain Indian lands and resources and to reduce financial…
Continue reading…about Clearing the lands has always been at the heart of Canada’s Indian Policy
C-92 An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT has once again proven that legislative initiatives tend to be effective deflections from their ongoing failures to address human rights abuses against Indigenous peoples. Bill C-92: An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families (2019) was heralded…
RACISM IN BC HEALTHCARE Imagine living in a country, where hospitals refused to treat you for a stroke, because the doctors and nurses assumed you were drunk? Imagine further, that the emergency room doctor refused to treat your young child for epilepsy, because they assumed she was on drugs? Well folks, that country is Canada….
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(Treaty Truckhouse fundraiser [top left], Rez Famous Clothing [top right], Warrior Life Clothing [bottom left], Unist’ot’en fundraiser [bottom right]) If you are anything like me, I need multiple lists to keep myself organized this time of year. With the holidays speeding towards us faster than we can keep up, I need a list for tasks…
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This article was originally published in The Lawyer’s Daily on Sept.25, 2019 -(see link below) Justin Trudeau’s 2015 election platform promise to immediately legalize marijuana if elected spurred a frenzy of activity behind the scenes. There were police officers, politicians and other former leaders, previously against the sale of the drug, making plans for their…
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(Picture by Pam Palmater, Rally for Justice for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls in Winnipeg) This article was originally published in The Lawyer’s Daily on May, 28, 2019. “Her life mattered. She was valued. She was important. She was loved.” R. v. Barton [2019] S.C.J. No. 33. Cindy Gladue was an Indigenous woman…
Continue reading…about Justice system still not protecting Indigenous women and girls
Bill C-92 An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families has been heralded as a “historic turning point”, an “important first step”, a “major milestone” and other similarly over-used and under-impressive political phrases to describe yet another top-down initiative from the federal government. While the Assembly of First Nations National Chief…
(photo by Michelle Girouard) This article was originally published by The Lawyer’s Daily on October 12, 2018. The federal government recently announced that it will not appeal the court decision which quashed Canada’s approval of the Trans…
(Photo by Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research, pic from Washington Post) This article is Part 2 of a 2-part series which was originally published in The Lawyer’s Daily on September 17, 2018. The link to Part 1 which was published Sept.11, 2018 is provided below. Despite objections from some of the Indigenous groups about…
Continue reading…about It’s up to Indigenous, environmental groups to protect the public interest
(photo by NOAA from Raincoast Conservation Foundation) This article is Part 1 of a 2 part series which was originally published in The Lawyer’s Daily on September 11, 2018. Part 2 will be published in a few days. Tahlequah’s “tour of grief” which saw one of…
Continue reading…about Killer Whales, Trans Mountain Pipeline and the Public Interest