Indigenous Peoples and the Law

We are dedicated to enhancing the presence of Indigenous scholars and ideas at the law school.

Through Indigenous student recruitment, offering innovative courses in Aboriginal and Indigenous law, and providing our students with opportunities to put their legal knowledge to work on behalf of Indigenous communities, we have strived to enhance Indigenous voices in our community. 

As a student here, you’ll have many opportunities to study Indigenous law, starting with the first-year course Indigenous Peoples and the Law, addressing the range of considerations arising out of past and present interactions between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian legal system.

In upper years, you can elect courses to learn about Indigenous legal traditions pre-contact, Indigenous and Crown sovereignty and self-determination, federal Indian legislation, treaty rights and consultation obligations.

Each year, the law school organizes a unique three-day land-based Indigenous Law in Context program, taught in Anishinaabe communities. 

If you are a JD student with an interest in the intersection between law and the history, politics, thought, or practices of Indigenous and Aboriginal Law, you may choose to complete a Certificate in Aboriginal Legal Studies.

The program complements students’ legal training by providing an interdisciplinary framework within which concepts and methods from the study of law can be applied to a relevant topic in Indigenous Studies.  

Interested students can develop practical experience through an externship with Aboriginal Legal Services.