From Where I Stand

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.

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)

• Foreword Senator Murray SinclairIntroductionMoving through the Postcolonial DoorWe Truly Have Come a Long Way ...Idle No More and Recapturing the Spirit and Intent of the Two Row WampumOn the Parallels, and Differences, between Canada and South AfricaOur Shared Histories and the Path of ReconciliationRights and RecognitionFriduciary Gridlock and the Inherent Right of Self-GovernmentTranslating Hard-Fought-For Rights into Practical and Meaningful BenefitsUNDRIP Is the Start, Not the Finishing Line Defining the Path of Reconciliation through Section 35Indigenous Rights Are Human RightsImplementing UNDRIPGovernance in the Post-Indian Act WorldToppling the Indian Act TreeFirst Nations Jurisdiction over CitizenshipHolding and Managing Our LandsOn Accountability and TransparencyDeveloping a New Fiscal RelationshipThe Governance Toolkit and Building on OUR SuccessBuilding Business Relationships and the Duty to ConsultEconomic Development Depends on Self-GovernmentFirst Nations Are Not a Box to Tick OffWho Owns and Is Responsible for the Water?On Certainty and Why It's ElusiveRestoring Balance, Correcting Injustices, and Remaining VigilantA Litmus Test for Reconciliation Is the Status of WomenPreventing First Contacts with the Criminal Justice SystemOn Sticking Our Necks OutOn Obstruction, Denial, and Canada's Failure to Uphold the Rule of LawEach of Us, In Our Own Way, Is a Hiligax̱ste'AcknowledgmentsA Note on Terminology and the SpeechesCase Law and Legislation CitedIndex