Canada: Indigenous Peoples

Canada's Indigenous procurement framework requires more than nominal ownership. Recent scrutiny reveals that businesses must demonstrate meaningful Indigenous control, participation, and economic benefit, while federal buyers face pressure to ensure opportunities translate into real Indigenous economic outcomes. The rules operate at multiple levels, creating a substantive compliance exercise that extends well beyond the familiar "51% Indigenous-owned" threshold.

As Canada marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, how has the legal landscape evolved since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's landmark 2015 report? From the incorporation of UNDRIP into BC law to recent court decisions testing Aboriginal title and DRIPA's legal force, the path from acknowledgment to implementation continues to reshape Indigenous rights and governance in British Columbia.

En conséquence, certains pipelines internationaux et interprovinciaux, lignes de transport d’électricité et autres projets régis par la Loi sur la Régie canadienne de l’énergie (la LRCE) ne seront plus assujettis à une évaluation fédérale d’impact en vertu de la LEI. Ces projets feront plutôt l’objet d’un examen par la Régie canadienne de l’énergie (la RCE) en vertu de la LRCE.

The federal government has published notices proposing to add the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Roberts Bank Terminal 2 to Schedule 1 of the Building Canada Act as projects of national interest. These potential listings, following a similar notice for the West Coast Oil Pipeline, provide the first practical indications of how the government may use the Act to advance major infrastructure projects through streamlined federal approvals while maintaining Indigenous consultation and environmental assessment requ

Many First Nations have recently settled their agricultural benefits claim or are in the process of negotiating a settlement right now. How can they protect their settlement monies and ensure they benefit their communities for generations to come? One of the ways they can do this is to create a trust.

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is seeking judicial review (on the basis of lack of consultation) of a water licence required for early development of an AI data centre in northwest Alberta proposed by O’Leary Digital Limited. O’Leary Digital Limited applied to strike Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation’s claim, but the Alberta Court of King’s Bench dismissed O’Leary Digital Limited’s application to strike.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's ("ISED") Indigenous Intellectual Property Program ("IIPP" ) is now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 funding period.

La Cour suprême de la Colombie-Britannique a rejeté une demande de réouverture du procès dans l'affaire Cowichan Tribes, où un titre ancestral avait été déclaré sur des terres comprenant des propriétés privées. Cette décision soulève des questions importantes sur la coexistence du titre ancestral et de la propriété en fief simple, ainsi que sur le rôle des propriétaires fonciers privés dans de tels litiges.

In August 2025, the Supreme Court of British Columbia (Court) released its decision in Cowichan Tribes v. Canada (Attorney General) (Cowichan Tribes), declaring Aboriginal title over an area that includes privately owned land and concluding that Aboriginal title and fee simple ownership can legally coexist.