UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

Indigenous Sovereignty and Canadian Drug Laws

Identification

Public canonical key

radar:r-e8a6d97da9d1eb73f81b15cfce2d3a7c

Authors

Kobryn-Dietrich, Tierney

Reported year

2025

Reported language

en

Source type

Dissertation

First detected

2026-11-13T08:39:11.344401+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-13T08:39:11.344401+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Documentary abstract — original language

This dissertation examines the role of Canadian drug laws in the repression of Indigenous sovereignty and situates these laws within a broader framework of settler colonialism. It presents a detailed analysis of historical and contemporary drug legislation with the goal of illuminating the unique ways each piece of legislation works to further colonial objectives and suppress Indigenous rights. It focuses on three specific areas: cannabis, liquor, and tobacco regulations. Because each drug policy was developed within a unique social and historical context, this study uses various methods to analyse different data sets. Chapter One presents a historical analysis of cannabis laws from the Act to Prohibit the Improper Use of Opium and Other Drugs (1923) to the 2018 Cannabis Act and shows how these regulations undermine Indigenous sovereignty, exclude Indigenous peoples from economic benefits, and criminalize Indigenous resistance. Chapter Two uses newspaper data to explore how liquor laws from 1880 to 1920 helped construct white settler identity by criminalizing settlers who interacted with Indigenous people. Chapter Three critiques the Canadian tobacco industry's portrayal of the Mohawk tobacco trade as illicit, highlighting how the industry profits from advocating for the criminalization of Mohawk tobacco sovereignty. Grounded in Settler Colonial Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Indigenous Criminology, this dissertation illuminates the complex and sometimes contradictory nature of colonial power dynamics. This research contributes to a broader understanding of how criminal legislation continues to regulate and control Indigenous peoples, legitimizing the theft of Indigenous land and resources under the guise of drug prohibition.

Identifiers

DOI

10.71548/13257

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/11375/31062

Documentary context

Documentary family

Thesis

Source-reported types

Dissertation

Publishers

McMaster University

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

DataCite · Record 1

• Document · https://macsphere.mcmaster.ca/handle/11375/31062

Documentary status

Relevance pending

Library

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