Landmark case won

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This week a senior citizen won a landmark case over compulsory retirement. And sine the announcement, the media has lauded the ruling as a precedent-setting case that will not only assure against compulsory retirement but give a boost to women's rights, too. However, the media seems to have overlooked one important fact. This landmark case was won by Olive Dickason, who is also Metis.

This professor at the University of Alberta has been involved in the Metis Association of Alberta and Women of the Metis Nation for some time and had in fact attended the last First Ministers' Conference in Ottawa. Many would say she is used to fighting for her rights.

Dickason herself says she fought for her rights because she wants to continue to teach history at the university. However, the fact that this precedent-setting case, that boosts both senior's and women's rights, was won by a Native person who has been involved in Native rights, is hardly a coincidence. And, it's comforting to know that Native people can be relied on to fight for other minority rights, too.