“Societies appear to be subject, every now and then, to periods of moral panic. A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests; its nature is presented in a stylized and stereotypical fashion by...
Have you heard of UNDRIP? It's making headlines and something you should know about. It stands for The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. But is it helpful or harmful? Listen to Litigation Lawyer, Leighton Grey's weekly commentary. (29...
On May 31, 2021, I was a substitute teacher at an Abbotsford high school named after the painter Robert Bateman when news was feverishly spreading about the “discovery” of the “remains” of 215 children in a “mass grave” at the site of the long-shuttered Kamloops...
ACT leader David Seymour speaks during a media conference in Parliament on Sept. 28, 2021. (Getty Images) Winnipeg, Manitoba – The winds of political change are sweeping across New Zealand as David Seymour, leader of the ACT Party, brings a renewed emphasis on...
In this essay, I explain that young people should come to university to be educated, and not to become credentialed; the public should support universities because universities educate young people, not because they produce credentialled workers. Why should a...
During the whole of recorded history, the empire has been the most constant and common form of political organization. A basic, self-evident feature of all empire-building has been the successful occupation of the lands of the local, Indigenous inhabitants by outside...
Rodney Clifton, Brian Giesbrecht and Frances Widdowson discuss the Kamloops Cemetery controversy. Moderated by Paul Viminitz. Saturday, July 10, 2021 Over the last few months, hundreds of unmarked graves of people connected to residential schools have been...
A conversation about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission with Dr. Rodney Clifton, co-editor and author of the Frontier Centre's recent book, From Truth Comes Reconciliation. We have not written this book for people who think that this Report is too sacred for...
Canada has consistently failed to make progress that is commensurate with so many lofty pronouncements and expectations on the Indigenous file. By statistics alone, it is a national shame that most Indigenous Canadians on reservations live far below acceptable...
There is a concerted effort in Winnipeg to rename Bishop Grandin Boulevard. The Mayor is in support. The Bishop has been convicted of a crime he didn’t know existed when he was alive a century or so ago - thinking like a man of his time. But Grandin would be doubly...
Here is a link to a 1962 CBC documentary about life at a residential school. It shows healthy and happy indigenous schoolchildren going about their day. Nuns and teachers - some of whom are indigenous - are shown interacting with the children in a normal way. The...
The Senate or an election are the only things that could amend or end a badly worded and contentious bill that seeks to harmonize federal laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Bill C-15 has received third reading in...
The discovery of human remains at the site of a former residential school has set off a firestorm that has already resulted in demands for another national inquiry, and massively expensive forensic and excavation projects. But maybe we should take a pause, and ask...
Sometimes, self-determination for Indigenous communities can become problematic in meeting certain standards or policy goals, especially if it is done with a hands-off approach from the federal government. This can be the case when it comes to ensuring all First...
In December of last year, the Assembly of First Nations’ (AFN) national chief announced he would not be seeking re-election. Coming up on the next leadership race, it may be important to have a conversation about what the AFN wants to be and where it wants to go. Here...