Jessica Handjiev, Joyful Emotion Photography
When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its final report on Canada's Indian Residential School system, the country finally gained a true sense of the magnitude of this dark chapter in Canadian history. The statistics cited within it were astounding: The government-imposed residential school system had forced some 150,000 children to attend church-run boarding schools, with more than 6,000 dying within their walls - a higher mortality rate than that for Canada's fighting forces during the Second World War. Nearly 32,000 of these students (roughly 21 per cent of all attendees) were physically or sexually abused, with a further 5,995 claims of abuse still in progress as of the report's release.
The report also decried Canadians' ignorance of the Indian Residential School system.
"Too many Canadians know little or nothing about the deep historical roots of these conflicts," the report states. "This lack of knowledge has serious consequences for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, and for Canada."
The report also defined 94 "Calls to Action" aimed at redressing the residential school legacy and advancing the reconciliation process. The 28th action specifically applies to Canadian law schools, recommending "all law students to take a course in Aboriginal people and the law, which includes the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations," while also emphasizing the importance of skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights and anti-racism.
Over the past several months, UAlberta Law has taken several steps to crafting and implementing an intentional response to number 28; a response that is truly shaping our very identity. As Dean Paul Paton notes, "We are steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that our students enter the legal profession with a knowledge of Indigenous laws and legal traditions, a firm understanding of the application of Canadian law to Indigenous peoples, and the skills to interact with Indigenous peoples with respect and understanding," he said.
Higher Learning
UAlberta Law is widely recognized by students and alumni for offering a top quality curriculum designed with a dynamic future in mind. Starting last year, that reputation continued as an essential component of students' first year of law school was redesigned to clearly articulate emerging issues in the Canadian justice system. Read More
Thought Leaders
Faculty members strive for excellence and hold expertise in a broad range of Canadian and international law subject matter. For the two faculty members you're about to meet, their expertise in Indigeneity is a welcome way to educate students who are increasingly aware of the importance of the issues they're learning about. Read More
Student Experience
Our students are diverse, each bringing unique experiences and backgrounds to the classroom. Our students are making great strides to foster the dialogue surrounding Indigenous traditions and Aboriginal law within the community; their student-run campaigns and experience-based initiatives are leading the way to show how diversity can shape and enrich the law school experience. Read More
Agents of Change
Our commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples has been welcomed by many in the legal community. Our alumni, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, weigh in on how their alma mater is progressing on this front. Read More