Keeping Tabs - Spring 2022

Professor and Academic Director of the ALOY
Program at the Royal Military College), and
me as moderator. The panelists shared their
insights on what legal professionals can do
to address ongoing systemic discrimination
faced by Indigenous people within, and by,
the legal system:
1. Continue to educate yourselves on the
issues. A resource list for continuing
your education on this topic was created
and sent out to attendees. A copy
can be found here.
2. Take advantage of the unique opportunities
you have as lawyers to remedy
the systemic racism faced by Indigenous
people. For example, encourage
the law school you attended to implement
mandatory courses in Indigenous
peoples and the law in accordance with
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s
Call to Action 28.
3. Read the various reports on these matters
and assess how your own practice
or local bar association can work to address
the recommended courses of action
laid out therein.
It is important that we, as legal professionals,
consider the oath we’ve taken and use our critical
thinking to assess where our own actions,
our practices, or the profession more broadly
are contributing to the systemic discrimination
Indigenous peoples face. But to ensure meaningful
change, it is vital that the voices of your
Indigenous colleagues and clients are part of
this conversation. As the late Cree lawyer and
writer, Harold Johnson, said in his book, Peace
and Good Order: “You are never going to find
solutions if you continue to have conversations
about us without us.”
For decades, Indigenous communities and independent
reports and inquiries have called for
changes within the Canadian legal system based
on the manner it engages with Indigenous peoples
and communities. The takeaway from this
panel is that the tools and resources are there,
and now is the time for action. Thank you to
all who attended, those who have committed
to doing the work, and those who we hope will
move beyond asking what they can do and start
taking steps to remedy the ongoing systemic
discrimination Indigenous peoples face within
the Canadian legal system.
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