Tansi Nîtôtemtik,
Today’s post will look at efforts by The University of Victoria Faculty of Law (“the Faculty”) in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Call to Action #28. For those familiar with Indigenous laws, you will most likely have heard of Val Napoleon and John Borrows. Both Professor Borrows and Dr. Napoleon are based out of the University of Victoria, which means that some exciting things are happening at the school in terms of reconcili-action.
The Faculty emphasizes the importance of understanding Indigenous history, culture and legal traditions for law students, stating:
We aim to equip our students with the knowledge and skills to adapt to the ever-changing field of Indigenous law and the impact those changes will have on so many facets of Canadian society. We strive to have our students enter the workforce as informed citizens with a strong cultural understanding and appreciation of the many different legal traditions that comprise our systems of justice...Recent landmark rulings by the Supreme Court of Canada serve as strong reminders to the legal community that Indigenous issues will be increasingly salient. As educators, we must reflect these anticipated trends in our university course offerings, programs and research initiatives.[1]
In response to the above goals, the Faculty offers programs and supports for students, resident scholars and their leading research, the Indigenous Law Research Unit (ILRU), the National Consortium for Indigenous Economic Development (NCIED), as well as the recently founded JID Program (see below).
The Faculty has developed the Amicus Program, which provides academic, cultural, personal and accommodation assistance for Indigenous students. The Amicus Program also coordinates with the Faculty’s Indigenous Law Students’ Association to create additional supports. Moreover, the University itself also has a First Peoples House, which also acts as a support system for Indigenous students schoolwide. In addition, since 1996, UVic has hosted an Aboriginal Awareness Camp where students spend a weekend at the start of the school year with a First Nations community learning about their values, customs and beliefs.[2]
As was mentioned above, the Faculty is also fortunate to have Professor John Borrows, Dr. Val Napoleon, and D Heather Raven, QC, all of whom offer an abundance of knowledge on Indigenous law, as well as issues in Indigenous governance, power, and community.[3] In addition to having these internationally-recognized scholars, the Faculty is also home to the ILRU, headed by Dr. Napoleon and dedicated to the recovery and renaissance of Indigenous laws. The ILRU collaborates and supports two major streams of Indigenous laws research – Land, Waters and Resources, as well as Governance, Justice and Citizenship.[4]
The last initiative worth noting of the Faculty is the newly established joint degree program in Canadian Common Law (Juris Doctor) and Indigenous Legal Orders (Juris Indigenarum Doctor), with its first enrolled law students having begun in September 2018. The JID has been a topic of great discussion amongst law students interested in studying Indigenous laws throughout Canada, being the first of its kind in the world. The program itself is explained as “[c]ombining intensive study of Canadian Common Law with intensive engagement with Indigenous laws, the JD/JID will develop the skills needed to practice within Canadian Common Law, with Indigenous legal orders, and at the interface between them.”[5] As such, graduates of the program will be in high demand in areas of Indigenous governance, non-Indigenous government agencies, law firms that work with Indigenous peoples and lands, as well as business enterprises.[6]
Looking at the above initiatives, it is easy to see why the Faculty is deemed as a leader in Indigenous legal issues. However, Indigenous Initiatives within the Faculty’s website do not touch on the TRC Call to Action #28 – it seems as though the emphasis is on the JID Program, and not on curriculum for those students enrolled in the JD Program. Although the Team looks to our friends on the West Coast as leaders in Indigenous Law, we do recognize the need for more in terms of reconcili-action, and for #28 to be meaningfully implemented.
Until next time,
Team ReconciliAction YEG
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[1] “Indigenous Initiatives”, University of Victoria, online: https://www.uvic.ca/law/about/indigenous/index.php.
[2] “Programs and Supports for Indigenous JD Students”, University of Victoria, online: https://www.uvic.ca/law/about/indigenous/students/index.php.
[3] “Leading Scholars and Research”, University of Victoria, online: https://www.uvic.ca/law/about/indigenous/scholars/index.php.
[4] “Indigenous Law Research Unit (ILRU)”, University of Victoria, online: https://www.uvic.ca/law/about/indigenous/indigenouslawresearchunit/index.php.
[5] “Joint Degree Program in Canadian Common Law and Indigenous Legal Orders JD/JID”, University of Victoria, online: https://www.uvic.ca/law/about/indigenous/jid/index.php.
[6] Ibid.
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