First Nations and the Business of Cannabis

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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Cannabis legalization ignores First Nations

*This article was originally published in The Lawyer’s Daily on Jan.30, 2019. For decades, federal and provincial governments, through their local, regional and national police agencies and court systems, have arrested, charged and imprisoned thousands of First Nations people for engaging in the cannabis trade. Many had hoped that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s stated commitment…

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True Test of Reconciliation: Respect the Indigenous Right to Say No

                                (Image from Unistoten Camp) *This article was originally published in Canadian Dimension Magazine on May 15, 2018. Conflict is coming. There is no getting around that fact. Anyone who believes that reconciliation will be about blanket exercises, cultural awareness…

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The Indigenous right to say no

                                     (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…

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Canada’s Criminalization of the Indigenous Tobacco Trade

*This article was originally published in Lawyer’s Daily on April 4, 2018 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claims that there is no more important relationship than the one with Indigenous peoples and committed to a renewed nation to nation relationship based on respect for Indigenous rights. To this end, Trudeau made many promises to First Nations,…

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Trudeau’s Dance of Deception on Indigenous Rights

*Originally published in Lawyer’s Daily on February 26, 2018 (edited to include links) On Feb. 14, 2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his plan to develop a new legislative framework called the “Recognition and Implementation of Rights Framework” intended to recognize Indigenous rights and avoid litigation. This announcement came after the incredible not guilty verdict…

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The Worst Thing That Could Happen is a First Nation Minister of AANDC

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…

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