The reflection of indigenous principles in Ontario public policy and administration

This Major Research Paper uses the Ring of Fire as a case study to show how the Ontario government’s approach to the Ring of Fire project is inconsistent with the principle of free, prior, and informed consent, the right to participate in decision-making matters, and the right to self-determination, as found in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This is demonstrated by examining Indigenous resistance, specifically focusing on the protests that occurred during Question Period in the Ontario Legislature on March 29th, 2023. This paper will also provide a theoretical discussion on how to move forward and interpret UNDRIP’s principles through the notion of treaty federalism. Overall, this Major Research Paper argues that the approach to the Ring of Fire project has failed to reflect UNDRIP’s principles in a fair, consistent and fulsome manner.