Gidawekaamin Bakaanizi: Recognizing and Affirming Different Legal Traditions in Canada

Indigenous peoples in Canada have their own laws which continue to regulate their lives and have an important influence on other societies around them. Yet these laws are little understood by most Canadians and are regarded as too different to be recognized and affirmed within Canada's Constitution. This presentation will suggest that Canadian law schools could play an important role in facilitating the teaching of Indigenous laws. However, I will also contend that such teaching should not be undertaken unless it is done by appropriately trained people, in the proper setting, under the direction of Indigenous communities and leaders, and with the support of other key institutions in Canadian law. In this light, this presentation will examine steps the University of Victoria Faculty of Law has taken to develop an Indigenous Law Degree