Archive for January 20, 2020
Get Clear on Wet’suwet’en Law: Unpacking Canadian Court and Media’s Confusion
There has been a lot of confusion in the media and even within the B.C. government about the place of Wet’suwet’en Indigenous law within the Canadian system. Even as the RCMP occupy a bridge on the Morice River, Premier John Horgan blithely talks about a “familial dispute”. In fact, the discord between hereditary leadership systems and…
Read MoreUnpacking Solidarity & Allyship
With reconciliation being discussed in communities, in classrooms, in boardrooms and on the floor of Parliament, there is an upwelling of interest and passion for engagement with Indigenous rights in Canada. Canadians are leaning in to understand the history of Indigenous Peoples, and to know the underlying issues of colonization and assimilation, to know where…
Read MoreA Necessary Resource: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is a comprehensive statement addressing the human rights of Indigenous peoples. It was drafted and formally debated for over 20 years prior to being adopted by the General Assembly on 13 September 2007. The document emphasizes the rights of Indigenous peoples to live in dignity,…
Read MoreOur Vision? A Country Where Democracy Thrives with Honoured Indigenous Rights
RAVEN’s vision is a country where constitutional democracy is flourishing because Indigenous laws, rights and stewardship values are honoured. We are spotlighting some of our favourite programs aimed at exploring, honouring and understanding Indigenous laws in BC. West Coast Environmental Law: Revitalizing Indigenous law for Land, Air and Water (RELAW) “For thousands of years, Indigenous…
Read MoreUnderstanding the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Everyday
The worldwide drive to extract and develop minerals and fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal), coupled with the fact that much of what remains of these natural resources is situated on the lands of indigenous peoples, results in increasing and ever more widespread effects on indigenous peoples’ lives… indigenous peoples around the world have suffered…
Read More