Needs No Introduction

In 2012, the Attawapiskat reserve in Northern Ontario was deemed to be experiencing a housing crisis and put under third-party management. In the months that followed, the Federal Court reserved the decision, pointing out that the government's imposition of a third-party manager failed to address the systemic issues that had led to the crisis in the first place. While the ruling was deemed a victory for the community, the situation highlighted the complex and challenging reality facing Indigenous people in Canada. From higher rates of unemployment and rates of children in foster care to allegations of racism in health care, the discrimination experienced by Indigenous people in Canada is impossible to deny. Yet this discrimination goes beyond individual attitudes to the structures of society itself, including the structures meant to ensure an equal standing for all. On January 22, Halifax's Central Library hosted a panel discussion exploring Indigenous perspectives on law and rights and how the legal system i