It has been a whirlwind 100 days for the United Conservative Party (UCP) in Alberta following the formal return of conservatism in April. Indigenous individuals and communities will be impacted greatly by the ongoing repeals and impending policy shifts arising from campaign promises. This brief considers what our communities stand to lose and what it will mean to be Indigenous in Alberta into the future.
Today, major research funding agencies, such as the federal Tri-Council, have set aside historic funding levels for Indigenous-related research, which is cause for optimism. But there are also many reasons to be cautious. This brief includes a proposal for a Protocol for Working with Indigenous Communities so that the broader research community might begin to seriously examine the role of identity and identity fraud.
On July 15, 2019, two new federal laws came into effect: the Department of Indigenous Services Act (“DISA”) and Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Act (“CIRNAA”).Together, these two acts replaced and repealed the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Act, RSC 1985, c I-6 (the “DIAND Act”). This brief explains the new laws, and how DISA, particularly, is an improvement over the old DIAND Act.
Based in the Faculty of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University.