Exploring Theme: "Perspectives on Duty to Consult"

“One of the major things about First Nations communities, in particular, is the entire Canadian experience is all about taking away our agency, Indian agents, the Indian Act, the minister of Indian Affairs making all the decisions.” —lawyer Sara Mainville Sara Mainville Sara Mainville has held many prestigious posts. The Anishinaabe lawyer, who has been...

NationTalk: The Globe and Mail – Canada’s economic future is dependent, in many ways, on having more Indigenous voices at the table when major development projects are being proposed and planned. That’s because many of these initiatives will involve the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples or impact these territories. And they will have a disproportionately...

Feds should ‘cede tax room’ to resource companies who make payments to First Nations, Tory leader says CBC News: The federal Conservative leader says he’s launching countrywide consultations between First Nations and industry leaders on a proposed opt-in policy for First Nations to share the revenue generated by resource development on their lands. Pierre Poilievre announced...

Agreement could change how natural resources projects are developed in Canada CBC News: A coal company and a British Columbia First Nation have struck a rare deal to give the community the power to veto a proposed mining project, which could set a precedent for how natural resources projects are developed in Canada. NWP Coal...

On energy projects, courts are putting new spin on the duty to consult Lexpert: Business of Law: Indigenous involvement in Canadian energy projects has evolved from consultation and accommodation to partnership, as Indigenous groups are increasingly taking equity stakes and steering projects as proponents. Courts also demand that governments consider First Nation’s economic interests when...

Ottawa, Ont. – On behalf of the Assembly of First Nations, Treaty 6 Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild is participating this week at the meeting of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples underway in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting includes focus on an international study on “free, prior and informed consent” as set...