CIAJ 2015 Conference

“Actions Up: CIAJ Conference on Aboriginal Peoples and the Law”

A Student’s Perspective on the CIAJ’s 2015 Conference

The Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor generously sponsored my attendance of the Canadian Administration of Justice’s (CIAJ) 2015 Conference entitled Aboriginal Peoples and the Law: We Are All Here to Stay. Among the over 200 other attendees were: Chief Justice McLachlin of the Supreme Court of Canada, Chief Justice Corte of the Court of Quebec, Justice LaForme of the Ontario Court of Appeal and Justice Sinclair of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba.

    It was both incredible and inspiring to discuss Aboriginal peoples and the law with some of the greatest minds in the legal profession. The informal nature of the conference emboldened judges, academics, community members and students alike to deeply explore the nature of reconciliation and what it means for the future of Canada’s justice system. Every aspect of the conference was carefully crafted to recognize the presence of Indigenous peoples in Canada, to understand the debilitating effects of colonization, and to highlight a path for a better future.

Even though reconciliation is now accepted as the way to build a trusting relationship between the Crown and First Nations peoples, the practical implications are often difficult to appreciate. Many of the speakers directly addressed this issue. Aimée Craft, for example, beautifully defined reconciliation as a process aimed towards “getting back what has been taken away for a time”; Justice Sinclair said: “It is education that got us into this mess, it is education that will get us out”.

My understanding of reconciliation changed through hearing the wisdom of speakers like Aimée Craft and Justice Sinclair. I learned that reconciliation is not about forgiving and forgetting - it is about fearlessly accepting the unique identity of Canada’s Indigenous peoples; it is about fully embracing the negative effects of our colonial past; and it is about having the courage to do something about it.  Since the conference, I have caught myself wondering what role law students can play in reconciling this nation-sized wound. What can I do?

I think, like many of those at the CIAJ conference do, that the process of reconciliation begins with education: it begins with ensuring that the history of indigenous peoples is taught to ours kids; it begins with teaching Aboriginal law and the law of Aboriginal peoples to our law students; and it begins with teaching our political leaders, judges, teachers and voters that Canada as a nation can be made whole through the process of reconciliation. For me, personally, this means learning more about my family history, understanding how our profession has hindered the process of reconciliation, and making space in my career to affect change.  

Katharine (“Alex”) Melanson, 3L