Harold R. Johnson

Harold R. Johnson is a member of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation. He is the author of five works of fiction and four works of non-fiction, including the genre-blending Clifford and Firewater: How Alcohol Is Killing My People (and Yours), a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-fiction. Born and raised in northern Saskatchewan, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy and worked as a logger, trapper, and miner before attending university as an adult. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Johnson managed a private practice for several years before becoming a Crown Prosecutor. He lives in the north end of Saskatchewan with his wife Joan.

Twitter: @haroldrjohnson

FESTIVAL BOOK

Peace and Good Order: The Case for Indigenous Justice in Canada

In 2018, the injustice of Canada’s justice system was painfully revealed by the verdicts issued on the deaths of Colten Boushie and Tina Fontaine. The ensuing outrage inspired Harold R. Johnson to make the case against Canada for its failure to fulfill its Treaty duty to deliver justice to Indigenous people, thereby ensuring long-term damage to Indigenous communities. In this direct, concise, and essential volume, he examines this failure and explores his own role in it and documents the ongoing struggle for “peace and good order.”