Reconciliation is a journey, not a destination. The road to reconciliation is a long and winding one with many stops along the way. When we come together, great things happen. Thank you for joining me on this journey.  

My guest for this episode is Dr. Bruce McIvor. Bruce is a partner at First Peoples Law LLP.  Bruce is recognized nationally and internationally as a leading practitioner of Aboriginal law in Canada.  He is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation.

Bruce understands the importance of reconciliation more than most – he’s written an entire book on it. He just published his new book: “Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It”. In this incredible book, Bruce articulates what Indigenous peoples in this country know so well and what can be clearly seen to all Canadians if they are paying attention to the constant stream of news reports of standoffs and confrontations, Canada’s “reconciliation project” has obviously gone off the rails. In this series of concise and thoughtful essays, Bruce explains why reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is failing and what needs to be done to fix it. 

Bruce’s message is consistent and powerful: if Canadians are brave enough to confront the reality of the country’s colonialist past and present and insist that politicians replace empty promises with concrete, meaningful change, there is a realistic path forward based on respect, recognition and the implementation of Indigenous rights.