Truth and Conviction: Donald Marshall Jr. and the Mi'kmaw Quest for Justice

by L. Jane McMillan

Now in paperback, the story of how Donald Marshall Jr.'s life-long battle against injustice revitalized Indigenous law in Canada.

The name “Donald Marshall Jr.” is synonymous with “wrongful conviction” and the fight for Indigenous rights in Canada. In Truth and Conviction, Jane McMillan—Marshall’s former partner, an acclaimed anthropologist, and an original defendant in the Supreme Court’s Marshall decision—tells the story of how Marshall’s life-long battle against injustice permeated Canadian legal consciousness and revitalized Indigenous law. Marshall died in 2009, but his legacy lives on. Mi’kmaq continue to assert their rights and build justice programs grounded in customary laws and practices, key steps in the path to self-determination and reconciliation.

Genres: Indigenous

230 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2018

Reviews

[Cher Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for all Canadians.

[Daniel J. Rowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting read on two cases of Indigenous justice that helps better underatand the Mi’kmaq experience.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outstanding read and orientation on ways we can right the wrongs of the past. This book should become required reading for all employed in the judicial field.

[Debbie Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in understanding Indigenous realities in relation to the Canada's justice system.

[Lina Guevara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book to start knowing a little bit better about indigenous people in Canada and more specifically the mik'maw community.
McMillan writes with in such an easy way that is able to transport you with her. She started by giving an introduction about Donald's life and wrong conviction, what happened through all the process (it took around 10 years) to then introduced you to the mik'maw world.
I think than reading this book within Canada has made the whole difference on how I read and understood it, the natives here have really complex problems that comes since colonization, I won't say how their life is because I dont know that, but from what I've seen and read in this short time, government and Canadian people owns a lot to them.
I have experience mostly anger when reading, is just such a unimaginable how we have accept colonization as something normal it happened when we should be speaking of invasion. But this anger I carry is for other app, not a book review. :)

I highly recommend this book if you live in Canada, and I truly hope is in the must reading books in their highschools.

[Deb M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very interesting. I have been involved in the U.S. criminal justice system and being able to compare systems kept me reading. There is the law enforcement aspect, pretty similar to law enforcement in the U.S., the legal system, kept me going back and forth in goggle, so I would understand the comparisons, and lastly, the penal system, which kept me referring back in the book so I could understand and, in some cases, marvel at the differences.
I have Canadian friends who say Canadians are not as racist as Americans and Americans who say we are not racist. Personally, I say what a crock of B.S. to both! It may appear to be different on both sides of the border, but it is there and it is ugly, and ignoring it only allows it to remain part of life.

[Jamie Snook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book and much respect for the author. I think this should be required reading in Nova Scotia, Canadian right now.