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      "displayName": "Steven T. Newcomb",
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      "displayName": "Peter d’Errico",
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  ],
  "description": "Peter d'Errico and Steven Newcomb and their guest Bruce McIvor discuss how the legal system—specifically in Canada—is used as a tool of ongoing colonization and domination.",
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      "title": "Episode page",
      "uri": "https://dominationchronicles.com/episodes/e017-bruce-mcivor-legalized-lawlessness/"
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      "title": "Audio",
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      "title": "Transcript PDF",
      "uri": "https://dominationchronicles.com/pdfs/e017-bruce-mcivor-legalized-lawlessness.pdf"
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  "path": "/episodes/e017-bruce-mcivor-legalized-lawlessness/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-09T00:00:00.000Z",
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  "tags": [
    "reconciliation",
    "doctrine-of-discovery",
    "jurisdiction",
    "rule-of-law",
    "undrip",
    "decolonizing-the-mind"
  ],
  "textContent": "Introduction Historian and lawyer Bruce McIvor joins us in this episode for a deep dive into how Canada’s colonizing legal system continues to attack First Nations with laws and policies dressed up in the latest costume of “reconciliation”. Bruce is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation, descended from the Red River Métis. His law firm, First Peoples Law, represents Indigenous Peoples across the continent. Bruce’s books, Standoff: Why econciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It and Indigenous Rights in One Minute: What You Need to Know to Talk Reconciliation, are major tools in the work of representing First Nations and presenting their legal positions to a wide public. As Bruce explains, Canada’s approach to Indigenous Peoples is “legalized lawlessness”, operating under the Crown’s claim of a right of domination that the courts call “assertion of Crown sovereignty under the ‘doctrine of discovery’”. Canada’s courts borrowed “discovery doctrine” from US law in 1887. Our conversation emphasizes the importance of investigating how language can be used to obscure the reality of law and politics. We also explore how Indigenous stories have the power to reveal that reality. Summary of Discussion The conversation focuses on how the legal system—specifically in Canada—is used as a tool of ongoing colonization and domination. Bruce McIvor argues that \"reconciliation\" is often used by the government as a way to legitimize its ongoing colonization project rather than truly addressing Indigenous rights. The participants discuss the \"Doctrine of Discovery\" as a corrupt foundation for modern law, noting that even when Indigenous people successfully use the law to defend their lands, governments often manipulate or change the statutes to maintain control—a concept McIvor refers to as \"legalized lawlessness\". They also emphasize the importance of language and etymology in understanding how power is exerted through legal terminology. Key Subjects and Terms Reconciliation : Described by McIvor as a \"four letter word\" to Indigenous peoples and a tool for legitimizing state colonization. Doctrine of Discovery : The historical and legal justification used by European monarchies to claim land inhabited by Indigenous peoples. Legalized Lawlessness : A term used to describe how colonizers manipulate their own laws to criminalize Indigenous land defenders. Jurisdiction : A term the participants critique, noting its etymological roots in \"speaking the law\" and its association with \"dominion\" and \"danger\". Rule of Law : Often used as a \"holy grail\" by governments to enforce their own laws over Indigenous ones, regardless of the law's inherent fairness. UNDRIP : The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, which McIvor notes is often treated as \"aspirational\" by governments rather than legally binding. Decolonizing the Mind : The ongoing process for Indigenous lawyers and individuals to unlearn colonial ways of thinking and interacting with the world. Transcript Download an AI Generated Transcript of this conversation Resources: Bruce McIvor law firm: https://www.firstpeopleslaw.com/ Bruce McIvor, Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It https://harbourpublishing.com/products/9780889714205 Bruce McIvor, Indigenous Rights in One Minute: What You Need to Know to Talk Reconciliation https://harbourpublishing.com/collections/bruce mcivor/products/9780889714885 Caroline Elkins, Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/45877/legacy of violence by caroline elkins/ Elkins, Caroline. \"The \"Moral Effect\" of Legalized Lawlessness: Violence in Britain's Twentieth Century Empire\", Historical Reflections/Réflexions Historiques 44, 1 (2018): 78 90, accessed Mar 9, 2026, <https://doi.org/10.3167/hrrh.2018.440109 Johnathan Havercroft, Captives of Sovereignty https://www.jonathanhavercroft.com/books Steven T. Newcomb's, Domination Translator Series https://doctrineofdiscovery.org/blog/domination/domination translator series introduction/ Citation Steve Newcomb and Peter d’Errico, \"Episode 17: BRUCE McIVOR: LEGALIZED LAWLESSNESS,\" Domination Chronicles (Podcast), 2026 02 28, <https://dominationchronicles.com/e017 bruce mcivor legalized lawlessness .",
  "title": "Episode 17: BRUCE McIVOR: LEGALIZED LAWLESSNESS"
}