From Where I Stand: Rebuilding Indigenous Nations for a Stronger Canada

Table of Contents:
Foreword Senator Murray Sinclair Introduction Moving through the Postcolonial Door We Truly Have Come a Long Way ... Idle No More and Recapturing the Spirit and Intent of the Two Row Wampum On the Parallels, and Differences, between Canada and South Africa Our Shared Histories and the Path of Reconciliation Rights and Recognition Friduciary Gridlock and the Inherent Right of Self-Government Translating Hard-Fought-For Rights into Practical and Meaningful Benefits UNDRIP Is the Start, Not the Finishing Line Defining the Path of Reconciliation through Section 35 Indigenous Rights Are Human Rights Implementing UNDRIP Governance in the Post-Indian Act World Toppling the Indian Act Tree First Nations Jurisdiction over Citizenship Holding and Managing Our Lands On Accountability and Transparency Developing a New Fiscal Relationship The Governance Toolkit and Building on OUR Success Building Business Relationships and the Duty to Consult Economic Development Depends on Self-Government First Nations Are Not a Box to Tick Off Who Owns and Is Responsible for the Water? On Certainty and Why It's Elusive Restoring Balance, Correcting Injustices, and Remaining Vigilant A Litmus Test for Reconciliation Is the Status of Women Preventing First Contacts with the Criminal Justice System On Sticking Our Necks Out On Obstruction, Denial, and Canada's Failure to Uphold the Rule of Law Each of Us, In Our Own Way, Is a Hiligax̱ste' Acknowledgments A Note on Terminology and the Speeches Case Law and Legislation Cited Index

About the Author :
The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, PC, QC, MP, also known by her initials JWR and by her ancestral name Puglaas, is a lawyer, advocate, and a proud Indigenous Canadian. She is a descendant of the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk and Laich-Kwil-Tach peoples, which are part of the Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw or Kwak'wala-speaking peoples, and she is a member of the We Wai Kai Nation. Throughout her career, Ms. Wilson-Raybould has built a strong reputation as a bridge builder between communities and a champion of good governance, justice, and accountability. She was elected as the Member of Parliament for the new constituency of Vancouver Granville in October 2015. On November 4, 2015, she was appointed the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, making her the first Indigenous person to serve in this portfolio. She then served as Minister of Veterans Affairs from January 14, 2019, to February 12, 2019. Prior to entering politics, she was a provincial Crown prosecutor in Vancouver and later served as an adviser at the BC Treaty Commission, a body established to oversee complex treaty negotiations between First Nations and the Crown. In 2004, she was elected as Commissioner by the Chiefs of the First Nations Summit. In 2009, Ms. Wilson-Raybould was elected BC Regional Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, where she devoted herself to the advancement of First Nations governance, fair access to lands and resources, as well as improved education and health care services. She was re-elected as Regional Chief in 2012 and served until 2015, holding responsibilities for governance and nation building on the Assembly of First Nations National Executive. Ms. Wilson-Raybould also served two terms as an elected Councillor for the We Wai Kai Nation between 2009 and 2015. An active volunteer in the community, Ms. Wilson-Raybould has been a director for Capilano College, the Minerva Foundation for BC Women, the Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre, and the National Centre for First Nations Governance. She was also a director on the First Nations Lands Advisory Board and Chair of the First Nations Finance Authority. Ms. Wilson-Raybould lives in Vancouver and is married to Dr. Tim Raybould.

Review :
The story of this ongoing narrative is of a cultural bridge disrespected in bias against gender and culture and, with her, all of us ingenuous in our optimism, we feel the tragic loss of an opportunity squandered. - Linda Rogers (The Ormsby Review)