Canada Border Services Agency and Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Collaboration

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA) have co-developed a strategy to improve the border crossing experience of those who daily utilize or travel through the Akwesasne-Cornwall border crossing port of entry. The initiative has been in development for the past several months with plans for short, medium, and long-term improvements.

“Bringing the Potlatch Home”

The Canadian Human Rights Museum showcases many stories of historical moments on their website.  One such story is written on the Kwakwaka’wakw community in British Columbia. This community had to deal with their ceremonial items being stolen after holding a Potlatch in 1921 when it was still illegal.

First Nations Child and Family Caring Society

FNCFCS has spearheaded the fight to support Indigenous children and families, particularly at the interface of government systems.  They have a number of campaigns, including “I am A Witness” and “Jordan’s Principle”.

Indigenous Law Degree – U of Victoria

The University of Victoria (UVic) introduced this degree, that is the first of its kind, as it combines both Indigenous and non-Indigenous law. It allows students to graduate with two degrees, it is explained in the article World’s first Indigenous law degree to be offered at UVic.  

Guidelines for Lawyers Working with Indigenous Offenders: Toolkit

This is a useful toolkit for anybody in the legal profession, or aiming to end up there in the near future because Indigenous issues regarding the legal system in Canada are one of the worst lasting impacts of colonialism. This document was created in collaboration with the Law Society of Ontario and the Indigenous Bar Association in 2018.

Reconciliation Syllabus: A TRC-Inspired Gathering of Materials for Teaching Law

Reconciliation Syllabus is a blog housing a collection of materials, resources and recommendations for teaching law in a way that supports recommendation #28 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. Recommendation #28 calls us to rethink both what and how we teach in our schools. With a spirit of collaboration and

Level Changing lives through law: Indigenous Youth Outreach Program

Level is a “Canadian charitable organization that levels barriers to justice by disrupting prejudice, building empathy and advancing human rights.” The Indigenous Youth Outreach Program responds to the TRC’s Calls to Action to eliminate the over-representation of Indigenous youth in the justice system.

Robson Hall Faculty of Law: University of Manitoba

Robson Hal Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba has developed numerous Indigenous initiatives and is working to respond to the TRC’s Calls to Action.

A previous project titled “The Gladue Project” was a collaborative effort between faculty members, students, law professionals and Indigenous communities to improve Manitoba’s implementation of the Gladue decision on Aboriginal sentencing.

Indian Residential Schools Commemoration Project: Anishinabek Nation of Ontario

The Anishinabek Nation of Ontario initiated an Indian Residential Schools Commemoration Project called “Honoring Our Children, Families, and Communities Affected by Indian Residential Schools”. The Anishinabek Nation developed commemoration and education resources designed to achieve a number of objectives including to “honour and validate the healing and reconciliation of former students, their families, and their communities” and to “enhance education and understanding about Indian residential schools with the goal to improve relationships between First Nations and Canadians.”

University of Toronto Faculty of Law- Juris Doctor Degree with a Certificate in Aboriginal Legal Studies

The University of Toronto Faculty of Law has a concurrent option consisting of a Juris Doctorate Degree and a certificate in Aboriginal Legal Studies. The certificate in Aboriginal Legal Studies is for students who “have a vocational or intellectual interest in the intersection between law and the history, politics, thought or practices of Aboriginal Law.”

University of Toronto Indigenous Law Journal

The University of Toronto Indigenous Law Journal exists as a part of the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto. The Indigenous Law Journal is a “student-run legal journal that is dedicated to developing dialogue and scholarship in the field of Indigenous legal issues.” All perspectives including both Canadian and international are welcome for submission. A mix of Indigenous and non- Indigenous students make up the thirteen-member journal staff, which includes a Faculty Advisor from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

McGill University: Aboriginal Human Rights Initiatives

McGill’s Human Rights Centre has a specialized focus on Aboriginal rights and issues in Canada. The Centre cites the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and works collectively to contribute to the topic noting, “that residential schools are part of our shared history and it is essential to ensure awareness and understanding of this chapter.” The primary area of research and scholarship at the Centre is examining the legacies of injustice at residential schools and the responsibilities and relationships through the “Lens of Law” in Canadian context. The Centre uses their comprehension of human rights to analyze various abuses in Canadian Residential Schools.

R.A.V.E.N. Respecting Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs

RAVEN is “a non-profit charitable organization that provides financial resources to assist Aboriginal Nations within Canada in lawfully forcing industrial development to be reconciled with their traditional ways of life, and in a manner that addresses global warming and other ecological sustainability challenges.” RAVEN’s vision is “a country that embraces the caretaker values of First Nations and their equitable access to the justice system within a thriving natural habitat.”

Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative

Kwilmu’kw Mar-klusuaqn means “we are seeking consensus.” The Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative “is seeking consensus on the best ways to implement their Aboriginal and treaty rights… for now, and for seven generations to come.” The Mission Statement of Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn Negotiation Office (KMKNO) is “to address the historic and current imbalances in the relationship between Mi’kmaq and non-Mi’kmaq people in Nova Scotia and secure the basis for an improved quality of Mi’kmaq life.”

University of Ottawa Law School: Option in Aboriginal Law and Indigenous Legal Traditions

Ottawa University’s Law School has an option in Aboriginal Law and Indigenous Legal Traditions. The program is “intended for JD students wishing to gain in-depth and practical experience in Aboriginal law including some exposure to Indigenous peoples’ legal traditions. The strong research interests of many of the professors support a particularly rich array of courses in Aboriginal law and Indigenous legal traditions.

Osgoode Law School: Intensive Program in Aboriginal Lands, Resources and Governments

According to Osgoode Hall’s website, the Intensive Program in Aboriginal Lands, Resources and Governments “began in 1993, after a group of Osgoode students was profoundly affected by the Oka crisis and challenged the Law School to do something” to support Aboriginal people. Osgoode then created a unique  program “to explore the legal issues relating to indigenous people and indigenous rights.”

Lawyer’s Rights Watch Canada (LRWC): First Nations’ Rights

The LRWC is “a committee of Canadian lawyers who promote human rights and the rule of law by providing support to human rights defenders in danger.” The non-profit society was founded in 2000 and is based in Vancouver, BC. The LRWC hosts events and engages in public education around First Nations Rights in Canada.

West Coast Environmental Law: Indigenous Law Project

West Coast Environmental Law, founded in 1974, is “BC’s leading champion for the environment.” In recognition of the fact that the “constitutional imperative of Aboriginal Title and Rights recognition will result in fundamental shifts to the laws and policies governing land, resources and community development in BC”, one of the organization’s area of focus is Aboriginal Law.

B.C. Treaty Commission

The B.C. Treaty Commission is “the independent body responsible for facilitating treaty negotiations among the governments of Canada, British Columbia and First Nations in B.C. The Treaty Commission and the treaty process were established in 1992 by agreement among Canada, B.C. and the First Nations Summit. They are guided by those agreements and the 1991 Report of the B.C. Claims Task Force, which is the blueprint for the made-in-B.C. treaty process.”

Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC)

The UBCIC was founded in 1969 by a group of Indian Chiefs in B.C., partly as a collective response to the federal government’s assimilationist White Paper, and through recognition of the need for different First Peoples of B.C. to work together for survival. The head office of the UBCIC is located in Kamloops, B.C., and their mission is to strengthen the voices of B.C.’s aboriginal people regionally, nationally, and globally, and to support the work of aboriginal people

Pulling Together Canoe Journeys

The Pulling Together Canoe Society, incorporated as a non-profit in 2004, organizes annual canoe trips along the West Coast of British Columbia that bring together RCMP officers, public servants, and Aboriginal peoples. Their mission statement reads: “Recognizing the past by Pulling Together to enhance understanding between Public Service Agencies and Aboriginal Peoples by Canoeing the traditional highway, strengthening our future relations.”

Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba (TRCM)

The TRCM is the result of a partnership between the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) and Canada “with a mandate to strengthen, rebuild and enhance the Treaty relationship with mutual respect between First Nations and Manitobans.” In 2003, the federal Cabinet approved the establishment of a treaty commission in Manitoba, followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the AMC and the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Indigenous Bar Association

The Indigenous Bar Association (IBA) is “a non-profit professional organization for Indian, Inuit and Métis persons trained in the field of law.” The organization aims to “foster public awareness within the legal community, the Indigenous community and the general public in respect of legal and social issues of concern to Indigenous peoples in Canada.” In 2013 the IBA held its 25th Annual Conference on the theme of “Peace, Friendship & Respect:  A Critical Examination of the Honour of the Crown on the 250th Anniversary of the Royal Proclamation and the Treaty of Niagara.”

Unist’ot’en Action Camp

The Unist’ot’en Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation have established an Action Camp on their traditional territory in the northern part of settler-named British Columbia. This initiative began in 2010 and has since seen visitors from across the country. The purpose of this project is to fulfill the responsibilities that the Unist’ot’en have to protect their land and to assert their sovereignty and rights.

University of Victoria: Indigenous Perspectives Camp

The Indigenous Perspectives Camp (formerly, Aboriginal Awareness Camp) is meant for those enrolled in the law program at the University of Victoria. First created in 1996, the four day camp is on Penelakut Island. The camp goal is to help “future lawyers explore Aboriginal perspectives on the law while connecting with a First Nations community” through exploring the community and interacting with its members.