I want to tell you about a particularly disturbing development going on right now in Innu, Maliseet, and Mi’gmaq territory, but first I think we need to cover some important ground. What is the duty to consult? In Canada, the duty to consult (a constitutional obligation) is triggered when the Crown (the federal or provincial…
Author: âpihtawikosisân
For my daughters, waking up to Trump as President of the U.S.A.
I had to go to work before you woke up this morning, so we haven’t had a chance to discuss the U.S. election results. I know you were worried. I’m sure today at school will be confusing and upsetting for you. A lot of people are feeling confused and upset. I’ll keep this brief, I…
Reconciliation in the time of pipelines
“This decision was based on science, traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples and other relevant scientific evidence.” – Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change[1] On September 27th, the federal government announced it had approved the Pacific NorthWest liquefied natural gas (PNWLNG) project in British Columbia. Catherine McKenna pointed to the 190 conditions that govern…
Beyond territorial acknowledgments
Earlier this year, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) released a Territorial Acknowledgment Guide.[1] The territorial acknowledgements found in this guide vary from fairly short: University of British Columbia, Okanagan (Kelowna, BC) – We [I] would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the…
Indigenous Writes: ebook launch!
I am very excited to announce that my book Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Issues in Canada, is now available as an eBook, for those of you who prefer this format or who simply do not want to wait until September 6th! The eBook is $20.80, and you can purchase…