When treaties were signed they were agreements to share Canada's growing prosperity with the original people of this land. It was a $4- to $5-annual payment for every man, woman and child back then. Today, it remains a $4 to $5 payment, depending on what treaty area...
Few will argue that federal government Indigenous policy—whether Liberal or Conservative—has failed Canadians. The federal government will be spending some $21-billion on the delivery of Indigenous programs and services this year. Yet the boil water orders will...
Over the past fifty years, Canada’s Indigenous Affairs department (now two departments with more than 30 federal co-delivery partners) has mushroomed into a “super-province” delivering birth-to-death programs and services to First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.
- New Book Release July 2019 - Since Indigenous Affairs (IA) became a stand-alone Canadian government department in 1966, it has mushroomed into a federal department unlike any other. IA has jurisdictional reach over 90 percent of Canada’s land mass, authorities...
The indictment of former U.S. president Donald Trump for crimes invented by his political opponents is the most egregious example yet seen of the weaponizing of the law. The United States is now full of examples. However, in Canada, we also see the law being...
OTTAWA, REGINA - Last week, two things happened that could have profound impacts on natural resources development in Saskatchewan. One is a hint the federal government might want to take control of natural resources away from the provinces, and the other is the...
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) did not become as stand-alone federal government department until 1966. Since then, it has ballooned in size to become a vast department with jurisdictional reach over 90 percent of Canada’s land mass. INAC, which is in...
"If you ever ask yourself, why indigenous people line up during Treaty Days to collect $5.00 and why is it still $5.00? That $5.00 should have been raised with inflation. Annuity payments were in lieu of giving the access to the minerals. The annuities that were...
The federal government is moving full-speed ahead to dramatically reform the relationship between the Crown and Canada’s Indigenous people through a new Indigenous Rights, Recognition and Implementation Framework and through a suite of legislative changes. However,...
"Indigenous Affairs is not like most government departments. Most government departments provide one service to all Canadians. However, Indigenous Affairs provides all services to an individual group of Canadians. Indigenous Affairs has jurisdiction over 90% of...
Autonomy for individuals and families was built into traditional Indigenous governance structures, and explicitly built into the historical treaties through an annuity payable directly to every man, woman and child in bands signing the treaties. However, since the...