This page lists specific recommendations for reconciliation curriculum reform for each course taught in law school. It is not exhaustive so please comment with other suggestions.
All Courses
- Include local First Nations, Metis, and Inuit histories, territories, claims, Treaties, and legal systems
- Teach students to think critically about Indigenous laws
- Teach Indigenous laws and legal systems
- Offer seminars that allow students to explore concepts around Treaties and Indigenous legal orders
- Organize a field trip to see anexample of a industrial project impacting Aboriginal and/or Treaty rights; invite community members to discuss the issues
- The Blanket Exercise – Part 1
- Blanket Exercise – Part 2
- Blanket Exercise – Part 3
- Blanket Exercise – Scripts, Scrolls, Suggestions by Rebecca Johnson
- Bannock, a Graphic Novel & Conversation: Re-framing Justice Using the Teachings from “Mikomosis and the Wetiko” — by Veronica Martisius
- “What is missing?”: Marie Clements’s New Opera about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women by Heidi Darroch
- Pulling the Weeds – by Suzanne Lenon, Kara Granzow & Emily Kirbyson
- Finding Resources Close to my Shuswap (Secwepmc) Home by Rebecca Johnson
- Wampum at Niagara (it’s not just about the Royal Proclamation) by Sonia Lawrence
- apihtawikosisan.com by Sonia Lawrence
- General principles of reconciliation syllabus by Emma Cunliffe
- WHAT’S ‘YOUR’ TREATY? by Rebecca Johnson
- Small Steps on the Path Towards Reconciliation at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law by Sarah Morales and Angela Cameron
- Loving, Working, and Living on Stolen Land: People of Colour, Settler Colonialism & White Supremacy by Sujith Xavier
- Teaching with Love: Inside and Outside the Law School Classroom by Gillian Calder
- Implementing Indigenous Law in Agreements – Learning from “An Agreement Concerning the Stewardship of the Witness Blanket” by Rebecca Johnson
Intersocietal Competency
- Core Strengthening – A MOOC to get you going! by Rebecca Johnson
- Let’s not colonize cultural competency by Jula Hughes
- Tips for Organizing Reconciliation Events by Tasha Henry and Rebecca Johnson
- Reflections on the Anishinabe Law Camp (Bkejwanong Territory) by Gemma Smyth
- apihtawikosisan.com by Sonia Lawrence
- Reckoning with the Role of Universities in Reconciliation by Thomas McMorrow
- “You’re Not the Indian I Had in Mind”: Jess Housty On Respectfully Working in Indigenous Communities
- Loving, Working, and Living on Stolen Land: People of Colour, Settler Colonialism & White Supremacy by Sujith Xavier
- Xwelíqwiya – The Life of a Stó:lō Matriarch by Rebecca Johnson
- Teaching with Love: Inside and Outside the Law School Classroom by Gillian Calder
- Implementing Indigenous Law in Agreements – Learning from “An Agreement Concerning the Stewardship of the Witness Blanket” by Rebecca Johnson
- Ceremony as Remedy? A Heiltsuk resource for doing TRC#28 work in the law school. by Rebecca Johnson
Art in the Law School Classroom
- “What is missing?”: Marie Clements’s New Opera about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women by Heidi Darroch
- Children’s Art and Indian Residential and Day Schools by Rebecca Johnson
- Songs of Law? — Thinking about Indigenous and Settler Laws on the Use of Music by Rebecca Johnson
- Art as Intervention in a Time of Reconciliation [by Tasha Henry]
- Going Home Star by Gillian Calder
- Our Voices, Our Stories by Lindsay Borrows
- Art, Law, and Community: Truth and Reconciliation through Art by Julie Tucker and Gemma Smyth
- Teaching with Love: Inside and Outside the Law School Classroom by Gillian Calder
- Implementing Indigenous Law in Agreements – Learning from “An Agreement Concerning the Stewardship of the Witness Blanket” by Rebecca Johnson
Business Associations / Tax
- Include section on Ltd Partnerships and Trusts and explain why First Nations communities use them (both tax and liability reasons)
- Reconciliation in the Corporate Commercial Classroom by Gail Henderson
Constitutional Law
- “The Problem of Prostitution” – Problem-based learning in Constitutional Law: some reflections on colonialism by Gillian Calder
- Assign copies of treaties for reading
- Bring in elders to discuss with the class
- Towards the Royal Proclamation and Covenant of Reconciliation: Short in-class discussion exercise for Constitutional Law by Patricia Cochran
- Bannock, a Graphic Novel & Conversation: Re-framing Justice Using the Teachings from “Mikomosis and the Wetiko” — by Veronica Martisius
- “The Confederation Debates”: Promoting Reconciliation in grade 7-12 Curriculum by Daniel Heidi and Robert Hamilton
- Towards the Royal Proclamation and Covenant of Reconciliation Short in Class Discussion Exercise for Constitutional Law by Patricia Cochran
- Wild Mushrooms or Wild Land: Do you have permission to pick wild food on “Crown” land? by Patricia Weber
- Indigenous Law and Procedure in Action: Vancouver Island Esquimalt/Ditidaht Hunting Case by Rebecca Johnson
- Wampum at Niagara (it’s not just about the Royal Proclamation) by Sonia Lawrence
Contract Law
- Implementing Indigenous Law in Agreements – Learning from “An Agreement Concerning the Stewardship of the Witness Blanket” by Rebecca Johnson
Criminal Law
- Approach to teaching Criminal law & procedure by Emma Cunliffe
- Idea for First Year Criminal Law?: Teach a class on R v. Kikkik (1958) by Rebecca Johnson
- Teach students to think critically about the systemic issues that cause overrepresentation and ways to fix them beyond the Gladue factors
- Thinking about “The Law of Evidence” through the Structure of Indigenous Language by Rebecca Johnson
- Bannock, a Graphic Novel & Conversation: Re-framing Justice Using the Teachings from “Mikomosis and the Wetiko” — by Veronica Martisius
- Incarcerating the victim: Indigeneity, gender and the Canadian legal system’s treatment of ‘Angela Cardinal’ by Emma Cunliffe
- Reflections from a First-Timer: The TRC and First Year Criminal Law by Lisa Kerr
- Gladue reports in the classroom: a group project from the Nunavut Law Program by Benjamin Ralston
- Of expertise, ‘activism’, and substantive equality for Indigenous Canadians by Emma Cunliffe
Environmental Law
- Introduction and overview of Aboriginal and treaty rights, including:
- an overview of the history of the Crown-Aboriginal relationship since the Royal Proclamation, with reference to accounts set out in the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
- an overview of the primary Supreme Court of Canada jurisprudence defining Aboriginal and treaty rights
- Consideration of the duty to consult and accommodate, including:
- origins, main principles, authoritative case law and recent developments
- Introduction to Indigenous environmental laws:
- students will be introduced to Indigenous legal systems respecting the sustainable use of resources, with a strong preference for members of local Aboriginal communities to guest lecture
- In addition to this focused discussion (approx. 2-3 lectures), the relationship between environmental and Aboriginal law and policy can and should be highlighted throughout the course.
- Revitalizing Indigenous Law for Land, Air and Water by Lindsay Borrows
Evidence
- Thinking about “The Law of Evidence” through the Structure of Indigenous Language by Rebecca Johnson
- Reflecting on the #Reconciliationsyllabus in Evidence law by Emma Cunliffe
- Of expertise, ‘activism’, and substantive equality for Indigenous Canadians by Emma Cunliffe
Family Law
- Indigenous Ways of Being and Knowing (A Try): An Exercise in Family Law and Sex-O at UVicLaw by Gillian Calder
- Diversity in our idea of Family: What is family law? by Gillian Calder
- Go beyond Derrickson case and instead include section on the new MRP Act (and why it may not work)
- Pay attention to law that helps families
Gender
- “What is missing?”: Marie Clements’s New Opera about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women by Heidi Darroch
- Pulling the Weeds – by Suzanne Lenon, Kara Granzow & Emily Kirbyson
- The Skirt Project: connecting gender, religion, and colonialism by Natalia Sudeyko
- Show this ILRU video: Indigenous Law, Gender and Sexuality
- Of expertise, ‘activism’, and substantive equality for Indigenous Canadians by Emma Cunliffe
Indigenous Legal Traditions
- What’s happening at Lakehead’s Faculty of Law? by Karen Drake
- Reflections on the Role of Stories in Law by Georgia Lloyd-Smith
- Revitalizing Indigenous Law for Land, Air and Water by Lindsay Borrows
- Show this ILRU video: Indigenous law: tough questions
Jurisprudence
- Explore the concept of “consultation” and how that reconciles with governance
Oil/Gas/Energy Law
- Include a section on Aboriginal title and the duty to consult
Professional Responsibility and Legal Ethics
Property Law
- Include section on how deal with lease and land transactions under the Indian Act, First Nations Land Management Act (FNLMA), and self government agreements
- Wild Mushrooms or Wild Land: Do you have permission to pick wild food on “Crown” land? by Patricia Weber
- Pulling the Weeds – by Suzanne Lenon, Kara Granzow & Emily Kirbyson
- Indigenous Law and Procedure in Action: Vancouver Island Esquimalt/Ditidaht Hunting Case by Rebecca Johnson
- Integrating property by Robert Leckey
- Wild Mushrooms or Wild Land: Do you have permission to pick wild food on “Crown” land? by Patricia Weber
Remedies
Research and Research Methods
- Gladue reports in the classroom: a group project from the Nunavut Law Program by Benjamin Ralston
Sexual Identities and the Law
- Indigenous Ways of Being and Knowing (A Try): An Exercise in Family Law and Sex-O at UVicLaw by Gillian Calder
- Show this ILRU video: Indigenous Law, Gender and Sexuality
Tort Law
- Include discussion about residential schools when teaching about child abuse
- Responding to the TRC in the First Year Tort Law Classroom by Freya Kodar
- Ceremony as Remedy? A Heiltsuk resource for doing TRC#28 work in the law school. by Rebecca Johnson
Teaching the TRC
- Children’s Art and Indian Residential and Day Schools by Rebecca Johnson
- Tips for Organizing Reconciliation Events by Rebecca Johnson
- Academic Freedom Implications of Responding to the TRC by Jula Hughes
- General principles of reconciliation syllabus by Emma Cunliffe
- Dean Jeremy Webber’s post at slaw.ca on TRC Recommendation #50 by Gillian Calder
- What’s happening at Lakehead’s Faculty of Law? by Karen Drake
- Reconciliation in a different key: contemplations from abroad by Dia Dabby
- Teaching the 94 Calls to Action in the Classroom by Rebecca Johnson
- Truth and reconciliation seminars by Karen Busby
- The Wunusweh Lecture in Aboriginal Law by Gillian Calder
- Responses to TRC recommendations [repost]
- Link to TRC Final Report
- Our Voices, Our Stories by Lindsay Borrows
- Small Steps on the Path Towards Reconciliation at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law by Sarah Morales and Angela Cameron
- Loving, Working, and Living on Stolen Land: People of Colour, Settler Colonialism & White Supremacy by Sujith Xavier
- Art, Law, and Community: Truth and Reconciliation through Art by Julie Tucker and Gemma Smyth
- Implementing Indigenous Law in Agreements – Learning from “An Agreement Concerning the Stewardship of the Witness Blanket” by Rebecca Johnson
Another useful subject area might be Professional Responsibility and Legal Ethics.
How about: https://www.cle.bc.ca/butiwaswearingasuit/
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Great idea! Done!
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