Reading Time: 3 minutes Aboriginal rights are extremely important but, like any Charter right, they’re not absolute. They must be balanced against other competing critical interests
Author: Joseph Quesnel
Joseph Quesnel received a BA honours in political science and history from McGill University and is currently completing a master of journalism degree from Carleton University, with a specialization in public affairs reporting. Joseph has over 15 years of experience in print journalism including over three years as lead staff writer at the Drum/First Perspective, a national Aboriginal publication.
Ring of Fire: burning down a rare economic opportunity
Reading Time: 3 minutes First Nations can’t veto development in northern Ontario. They must engage in good faith, just like business and governments, and not squander this opportunity
Taxing First Nations encourages accountability, good governance
Reading Time: 3 minutes Indigenous citizens would have real control over their communities and destinies if more funds were generated through taxes on reserves
Conservatives should distance themselves from Beyak
Reading Time: 3 minutes Senator’s twisted perspective on residential schools and the horrible suffering students went through should not be accepted by the party or other Canadians
New data pans First Nations custom-made election rules
Reading Time: 3 minutes May lead to discrimination and abuse of power, with disputes frequently ending up in federal court
Why French Canadians have a right to be offended
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Andrew Potter incident should be viewed from the perspective of an ongoing pattern of anglophones marginalizing francophones
Attawapiskat First Nation refuses to address its problems
Reading Time: 3 minutes De Beers decided to shelve plans to expand its mine because of the difficulty of dealing with continual protests from community members
Anthem debate ignores larger civics concern
Reading Time: 3 minutes Promoting engaged and informed citizenship is a battle all political parties should be fighting
How to filter real journalists from advocacy media outlets
Reading Time: 3 minutes In true journalism, opinion or commentary must be clearly labelled as such, and blending hard news with commentary is insidious
Indigenous communities deserve economic choice
Reading Time: 3 minutes Allowing free market ownership of urban reserves can give First Nations the economic clout to move ahead, despite having to pay taxes