Indian Act
Abolishing the Indian Act means eliminating First Nations’ rights
Pam Palmater: The Indian Act is used as a target to deflect blame for racist decisions made by the federal government; a clever guise to force the surrender of all First Nations’ rights
Trudeau’s First Nations ‘framework’ project looks stalled
The prime minister made speeding the path to self-government a personal priority, but the initiative has met with skepticism and resistance
Dismantling the Indian Act and modernizing treaties is possible—and necessary
Opinion: As the Indian Act comes under scrutiny, treaties could serve as a reminder of what we could achieve—or a mark of our collective failure
Why dismantling the Indian Act will be nearly impossible
Opinion: And it might not be much of a solution to the issues that plague “Indians” in Canada, anyway
The trickery behind Justin Trudeau’s reconciliation talk
Jeffrey Ansloos: Decolonization through abolition of the Indian Act is not ‘modernization’—it’s political revolution. Does Ottawa have the stomach for it?
Why the government’s decision to split INAC is a step in the right direction
Opinion: Perry Bellegarde on why he’s ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the Trudeau government’s split of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
The barriers for Indigenous women in entrepreneurship
Nicole Robertson on her firsthand experiences of the unique challenges of starting a small business as an Indigenous woman
The decent fix for aboriginal rights
Aboriginal peoples of Canada deserve justice, says Barbara Amiel, but negotiations will be complicated
An important moment, if it happens
A senior government source tells the Star that the Prime Minister understands the importance of Friday’s meeting with aboriginal leaders, but the Globe wonders if the meeting will happen at all—some chiefs apparently agreeing with Theresa Spence that the Governor General must be present. Or, as one chief explained to APTN, “If there is any honour in this Crown the governor general better get his ass there.” (I believe the proper phrasing is “his right honourable ass.”)
Debating the Indian Act
The House had two reasons this past fall to debate repealing and replacing the Indian Act: a private member’s bill from Conservative MP Rob Clarke and a motion from interim Liberal leader Bob Rae.
Getting to a new relationship
Chelsea Vowel considers #IdleNoMore and what needs to change.
Who counts as “Indian”? Unanswerable questions and basic principles
The way to read yesterday’s decision by Federal Court Judge Michael Phelan—if you want to get a feel for his ruling that the federal government must extend legal recognition as “Indians” to Métis and so-called “non-status Indians”—is out loud.