In this Brief, Annie King traces the history of the Norman Wells Oilfield through stories shared in Fort Good Hope (Rádeyı̨lı̨kóé), examining how colonial extraction disrupts relationships of reciprocity between people, water, animals, and land.
After a Century of Oil Extraction: Reclaiming the River at Norman Wells Read More »
In this Brief, Michaela McGuire (Jaad Gudgihljiwah) examines how fiscal decisions intersect with justice policy, resource development and militarization – and what that reveals about Canada’s approach to addressing gender violence.
Sunsetting Gender Justice:
Economic Austerity and the Defunding of MMIWG+ Supports Read More »
In this Brief, Hayden King traces the “off-ramp” approach to re-shaping the Act, showing how incremental reforms have created a landscape where First Nations are increasingly opting into new legal and policy frameworks outside the Act. The vanishing Indian Act raises questions about the direction of governance on reserves, what is replacing the Act, and who is actually steering.
From the RCMP’s “Native Extremism Program” to modern intelligence units, Canada has a dedicated history of surveilling Indigenous peoples – targeting communities for asserting their existence and laws. In this Brief, Riley Yesno argues for the need to envision resistance and resilience outside settler frameworks, emphasizing that survival and self-determination require confronting ongoing colonial surveillance
I-Spy Colonialism: Canada’s History and Ongoing Surveillance of Indigenous People Read More »
Manitoba’s Bill 48 empowers police to target individuals of perceived drug intoxication and detain them for 3 days in solitary confinement. How does the expansion of involuntary detention and forced detox, made possible through Bill 48, deepen colonial harm? In this Brief, Sage Broomfield and Sidney Leggett argue that Bill 48 advances carceral colonialism under the guise of care – expanding police power, sanctioning confinement and displacing Indigenous-led harm reduction with punitive, ineffective, and life-threatening interventions.
Care not Cages: Involuntary Detox Treatment is Carceral Colonialism in Winnipeg, MB Read More »
Following Canada’s push for accelerated resource development, new “Cooperation Agreements” between the federal and provincial governance promise faster approvals for industry. In this Brief, Hayden King examines these agreements and finds that there are trade-offs for efficiency and coordination. This approach hands more authority to provincial governments, many already facing criticism for weak environmental oversight and inadequate consultation with Indigenous communities, and raises concerns about how Indigenous rights will be respected when the federal government abdicates its responsibilites.