Legal scholar says Canada 'absolutely' exists on stolen Indigenous land despite Trudeau sidestepping question
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not provide a clear answer when asked Monday if he believes Canada exists on stolen Indigenous land – but a legal scholar says the answer is obvious.
“Absolutely,” said Sylvia McAdam, a law professor at the University of Windsor who is from nēhīyaw Nation in Saskatchewan. "It wouldn't be to their benefit to admit it outright, though."
CTV News put the question to Trudeau after a group of boisterous singers and drummers chanted “Canada is all Indian land!” as he made his way into the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Powwow Arbour to mark the one year anniversary of the confirmation of 215 suspected unmarked graves at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
"Canada is a country that consists of Indigenous people who've been here for millennia who welcomed in settlers, in some cases, and were overrun by settlers in others,” Trudeau said in his response.
McAdam said Europeans claimed what is now called Canada under the Doctrine of Discovery, a series of decrees from 15th century popes that granted them the right to so-called ‘undiscovered’ lands.
"It's more accurate to call them invaders because they came here specifically looking for land and resources and gold and riches,” she said of early settlers.
One of the 94 Calls to Action that came from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls on Canada to “Repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous lands and peoples such as the Doctrine of Discovery.”
The United Nations has also called on all nations to reject the Doctrine of Discovery and similar decrees.
"The non-Indigenous people are here to stay. They've developed a human right to be here,” said McAdam. “So that brings the conversation to what is the reparation and compensation for Indigenous peoples."
It’s not clear if that’s a conversation Trudeau or the federal government is willing to have.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.