Ph.D. Candidate Hadley Friedland ('09, LLM) has been awarded the plum of Canadian graduate student awards, a prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.
Friedland is one of 167 doctoral students in Canada and one of just 11 at the University of Alberta to receive a Vanier, which is in its third year. Recipients of the Vanier receive $50,000 per year from the Government of Canada for three years to fund their doctoral studies.
Friedland's Ph.D. research project, entitled Reclaiming the Language of Law: Exploring the Contemporary Articulation and Application of Cree Legal Principles in Canada, focuses upon indigenous legal traditions, including Cree legal traditions. The work, says Friedland, is not only deeply fascinating and rewarding, but significant. "There is a wealth of resources within Indigenous legal traditions that could be of importance to the Indigenous and non-Indigenous legal community," says Friedland.
Friedland will be using legal theory and basic legal analysis from the common law tradition and applying that to a variety of sources, including interviews with Elders and Cree community members, legal and anthropological sources. Her research will build upon the work that she completed during her master's studies-The Wetiko (Windigo) Legal Principles: Responding to Harmful People in Cree, Anishinabek and Saulteaux Societies Past, Present and Future Uses, With a Focus on Contemporary Violence and Child Victimization Concerns.
The award will allow Friedland, a parent to two children, to resign from a part-time counsel position with the Department of Justice and focus exclusively on her doctoral research. "I'm very honoured and grateful for this opportunity," says Friedland. "I find it particularly relieving that I have secured funding and am in a position to feed my children and pursue my studies. Although I did enjoy my job, it's wonderful to know that I will be able to give my academic project my complete attention!"
Professor Russell Brown, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, adds that the award of a Vanier to Friedland reflects upon the quality of the student body which the Faculty has attracted to its Ph.D. program since it was launched only three years ago. "Hadley is going to be a significant force in an important, emerging field of legal scholarship", he said.
What does the future hold for Friedland? "I know for sure that I love teaching, and that will definitely be a focus, but I do have to be practical and be open to where my research takes me," notes Friedland. "There is currently a lot of interest in this research field and if something pops up, like implementing or revitalizing research outcomes into current practices, I would be interested in pursuing that area as well."
"I have received a tremendous amount of support from a number of people, but in particular, I would like to thank Professors Val Napoleon and Linda Reif, as well as John Borrows," says Friedland. "Without them, I would not have received this award!"
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholars are each chosen as a result of their demonstrated leadership skills and high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering and health research.
Hadley Friedland