A new opportunity for students and faculty to engage with historical and contemporary Indigenous topics
On Wednesday, January 13, the Students’ Law Society (SLS) and the Indigenous Initiatives Office (IIO) launched the 2021 Reconciliation Resolution Challenge. This year, participants are invited to complete the “Indigenous Canada” Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) facilitated by the University of Alberta through Coursera. The MOOC takes approximately 20 hours to complete, and the Challenge runs until April 8, the last day of classes. It covers contemporary and historic issues and exchanges between Indigenous peoples and settlers in Canada.
“While some professors make a wonderful effort to include Aboriginal and Indigenous law content in their courses, the school as a whole really lacks this crucial perspective in much of its instruction,” says Greta Hoaken (2L). “This Challenge provides an accessible, fun, and meaningful way for students to engage with these considerations in the face of that absence.”
Given the current pandemic situation, this year’s Challenge is meant to bring the law school community together with a shared learning goal. “If this is one way that students can come together and find something meaningful to talk about, then that’s great,” says Amanda Carling, Manager of the IIO.
The law school population is sorted into five teams for the Challenge: 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls/4Ls, grad students, and staff and faculty members. Each team has a set of co-captains to cheer members along. These are the co-captains:
- 1Ls: Saskia De Vries, Hira Javaid, and Jane Fallis Cooper (1Ls)
- 2Ls: Greta Hoaken and Maddie Andrew-Gee (2Ls)
- 3Ls and 4Ls: Ryan Deshpande (3L) and Rachel Bryce (4L JD/MGA)
- Grad students (SJD, LLM, GPLLM and MSL students): Sarah Mason-Case and Julian Huertas (SJD candidates)
- Staff and faculty members: Professor Vincent Chiao and Brittany Twiss (National Director of Pro Bono Students Canada)
The group with the highest completion rate will be invited to a socially distanced post-Challenge celebration with food and a performance, pandemic permitting. “Feasting people is part of our culture,” says Carling. At time of writing, the 1Ls are in the lead with over 25 students signing up within a week of the launch. Carling anticipates a close contest between the 1Ls and the staff and faculty team.
“Between trying to engage with and support the IIO and thinking about the role the SLS plays in responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, supporting Amanda with some creative assistance for the Challenge was a great opportunity for the SLS,” says Willem Crispin-Frei (2L), VP StAG. “We thought having a competition would use our competitive instincts for good, and also build camaraderie among each year cohort when we are all apart.”
“It’s nice to take some time at the end of the week to engage with topics and issues which are fundamental to the place I am fortunate to live,” writes Hoaken. She notes that while the course is accessible for those without a background on the subject, it still provides value to students like her, who have taken undergraduate courses in Aboriginal law and policymaking around Indigenous issues.
The 1L co-captains are hosting weekly drop-in hours on Zoom for the 1Ls to discuss the MOOC content, share perspectives and resources, and provide an open and flexible environment to reflect and chat. De Vries gave credit to Cooper for the idea. “We hope that our informal Zoom discussion sessions are a nice supplement to the course itself, and also give 1Ls the opportunity to interact with their peers outside of the classroom setting!” writes Javaid.
“Obviously, it would be wonderful if this education was woven into Canadian elementary and secondary school curricula as well, but I think that lawyers have a heightened obligation, as Canadian law has consistently and disproportionately impacted Indigenous people in a negative way. As there is no U of T first-year course yet, we really encourage everyone to take initiative themselves with this challenge,” writes Cooper.
Bryce emphasizes that while law students have a baseline understanding of the issues surrounding discrimination, inequality, and systemic racism in the legal profession, “deepening that knowledge through this free online course should be seen as a requirement to conscientious lawyering going forward.” “Ryan and I are both proud to captain the 3L and 4L students through this meaningful challenge. We sincerely believe that this is an essential step for our friends and colleagues to take before graduating.”
Carling says that there will undoubtedly be students who are not interested in Indigenous topics and perspectives in law, but that their practice will be affected, especially as more First Nations pursue further economic development and as environmental issues become more important.
The 1L co-captains voiced support for a mandatory 1L Indigenous law course, citing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 28, which urges law schools to implement a course in “Aboriginal people and the law” that examines the legacy of residential schools and Aboriginal-Crown relations.
Indigenous programming at the law school has grown since Carling joined the Faculty, with the addition of some mandatory activities. This year, pandemic restrictions necessitated the postponement of orientation week’s mandatory Blanket Exercise. Instead, students participated in a series of reading circles with Elder Constance Simmonds, the law school’s Elder in Residence. Carling notes the impact of engaging students in Indigenous programming early on in law school, observing that students are more likely to further participate in non-mandatory learning such as the Reconciliation Resolution Challenge.
For those who are looking to engage in further learning, Carling recommends Myrna McCallum’s podcast, “The Trauma-Informed Lawyer.” The IIO also has its own online content: there are recordings from the IIO Speaker Series, the Indigenous Law and Legal Ethics teaching series, and an upcoming podcast called “28: A Call to Action.” Students are also invited to join Elder Constance’s Teachings on the Bundle sessions at the law school. Carling notes that there are a plethora of events and resources in communities across the country, and that it is relatively easy to seek them out.
“Even for the most ‘woke’ student, it is vital to learn, re-learn, and continuously engage with Canada’s troubled history with the Indigenous peoples on this land — especially because we are about to start our privileged careers in positions of relative power,” says Bryce, “We have an obligation to step up, actually invest our time, and do this reflective work.”
Editor’s Note: Angela Gu is participating in the 2021 Reconciliation Resolution Challenge.
