Ep. 561: Indigenous rights in one minute
Guest: Bruce McIvor
“Over the 27 years since the Delgamuukw decision, the relationship between First Nations and the Government of Canada has changed – in some ways significantly. In others, not so much,” says Bruce McIvor, the author of "Indigenous Rights in One Minute.” The legal relationship took another step forward following the Haida decision in 2004. That decision led to changes in the way resource and infrastructure projects are approved and built.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was another milestone: first as a healing journey and second in establishing a record of indigenous history in Canada. The TRC recorded the mistreatment and trampling of rights of First Nations people and shared those stories with the entire country. The Commission heard testimony from 6,500 witnesses, which culminated in a call to 94 actions to further facilitate reconciliation.
Understanding and appreciating the unique legal and societal circumstances indigenous people lived under and endured for more than 150 years is challenging. Bruce McIvor says, “A big part of reconciliation is calling out misinformation and lies, getting to the truth so that we can have honest conversations. That was my motivation to write the book.”
We invited Bruce McIvor to join us for a Conversation That Matters about what we all need to know in order to talk about reconciliation.
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