I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
This book is a collection of essays concerning Indigenous land reclamation and reconciliation in Canada. The author gives his legal perspective on these issues. He gives the historic background and how the laws and issues fit in the modern day.
The book was informative. Because the book is based on legal perspectives, it is a slow read, especially at the beginning. I would still suggest this to anyone who is interested in the topic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Nightwood Editions for the audio ARC!

What an important and interesting nonfiction read! I have been on a journey to educate myself more on indigenous issues and this was a great audiobook. The narrator managed to keep even the more complex chapters engaging. As this is a collection of essays about the laws surrounding indigenous land in Canada, I was a little worried about my comprehension of the legal jargon. However, I think this book was about as accessible as the author could have possibly made it, considering all the topics covered. This discussed a lot about treaty rights and how they relate to indigenous culture. I also learned a lot about the atrocities committed on the daily by Canadian government, and how they are failing indigenous peoples. Highly recommend, this is a quick read/listen with a big impact!

4.5 Stars rounded up.

Aboriginal and Indigenous rights in Canada are constantly at odds with the Canadian government. Bruce McIvor, a lawyer, is consistently fighting for those rights. “Standoff” provides a background history, examples, and a five-step plan for reconciliation between the Canadian government and Indigenous people.

One thing that surprised me was the information about British Columbia and how they handle Indigenous lands. One piece of information I had to look up was the interchangeable names of Indigenous, Aboriginal, and First Nation. The U.S. uses Native American or Native people, so I was unsure of the definition of each one.

I know very little about Canadian history, especially Indigenous history. I live in the U.S. and am knowledgeable about Native American history in the southern U.S. As part of my job I work with one Native American Tribe and one Native American Nation and I see similarities between them and those experiences McIvor discusses in the book. I now have a simple familiarity with Canadian laws and how they impact Indigenous people.

The narrator, Lorne Cardinal, had a nice tone in their voice but there was little inflection while reading. I listened at normal speed for the first six sections. Starting in section seven I increased the speed to 1.5 and it didn’t deviate too much from their voice. In the first couple of sections there were times when Cardinal stumbled across some words and the reading sounded choppy but that cleared up later in the book. I normally listen to audio books at 1.75 or 1.8 speed but I didn’t like the way Cardinal sounded at that speed.

“Standoff” is a good introduction to those who have no background knowledge of Canadian law and how it effects Indigenous people. The essays had an easy flow that started out with general information and ended with specific information on how reconciliation can be achieved. I would recommend this book to high school and above reading level. There is a lot of legalese but not so much that the reader would get lost.

This was an excellent read.

Really powerful and important book on Indigenous politics and reconciliation.

I was especially moved by this book as a fellow Métis, with ties to Manitoba and BC - similar to the author.

Would highly recommend reading this very timely and important book!

4.8/5

“Faced with a 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, lawyer and historian Bruce McIvor explains why reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is failing and what needs to be done to fix it.”

Woah. This book is A LOT.

It’s billed as lay-speak, but it’s still very detailed and comprehensive (as one expects from an attorney), so take it slow, ’cause it’s important.

The author, Bruce McIvor is both lawyer (with a PhD in Environmental History, for funzies) and indigenous to Turtle Island, so he’s got a unique (and fairly infallible) knowledge claim.

Each essay was set up with both a true case in Canada, as well as a breakdown of the proceedings, the outcomes, and the possible far-reaching effects.

I particularly liked the “Why It Matters” sections, (where we’re faced with the real-life consequences on actual humans) as well as the “What the Court Didn’t Say”, which showed both the flaws in, and the openings created by our highest court’s decisions.

While I absolutely LOVED Lorne Cardinal’s narration, I definitely think this is one for the eyeballs, not the earholes. It’s very detailed and very lawyerly and I wish I could have had at it with my highlighter.

This book should be in every library.

But also, don’t highlight library books.

8.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley, BeSpeak Audio Editions, and Bruce McIvor for this sobering, yet hopeful ARC.