Tansi Nîtôtemtik,
I am a third-year law student, and this will be my second year with the ReconciliAction blogging team. Last year, I was excited to participate, and I did not quite know how the year of blogging would unfold, what I would learn, and which dialogue, if any, would be sparked by our blog posts.
A year later, I am excited to continue researching a topic that I am personally passionate about. I have been able to become more knowledgeable about the challenges that Indigenous people in Canada face, stemming from the legal world and otherwise. I have learned by listening, reading, and ensuring that I approach every lesson with a thoughtful consideration of the issues at play. I am encouraged to continue this project by how much I have learned over the past year, and how much I am looking forward to continuing my education.
The team this year is made up of five individuals that comprise vastly different perspectives. It is an overwhelming experience to come together in team meetings to discuss our subject matter for the week because of the knowledge and the passion to learn present in the room. I feel very lucky to be in the position where I can both learn from our instructors, Vice Dean Moin Yahya and Hadley Friedland, as well as from my peers, and participate in leading the blogging team with Breanna Arcand-Kootenay as a third-year student.
Learning about Aboriginal law, Indigenous law, the history surrounding these concepts, and the unique ways that Canadian laws affect Indigenous people is both interesting and, in my opinion, extremely important material for me to learn and become familiar with as I move forward into my legal career. Last year I understood our project’s purpose as: “to educate about the concept and history of reconciliation, to explain its meaning in order to resonate with those who do not understand or could benefit from more understanding, and, most importantly, to ensure that reconcili-action is a top priority for all who attend the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta and beyond.”
I think that we worked towards that purpose each day with our blog posts, and ensured that our subject matter inspired dialogue within the law school and beyond. We were proud to be recognized with a “Clawbie”, and we hope that our work this year inspires similar discussion.
My peers and I hope that our discussion and analysis of the content presented will ask all readers, including those with strong opinions and pre-determined views, to step out of their own shoes to consider different perspectives. I know that working on this project over the past year has changed and shaped my perspectives, and I can only look forward to learning more.
Until next time,
Katherine Creelman
A Member of Team ReconciliAction YEG
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