Understanding the Ongoing Dialogues on Indigenous Issues in Canadian Legal Education Through the Lens of Institutional Cultures (Case Studies at UQAM, UAlberta, and UMoncton)

Abstract

This article offers an empirical study of the discourses and attitudes at three law faculties regarding Indigenous issues in legal education. After the catalyst effect of the TRC report, law faculties across Canada are facing the great challenge of fulfilling their role in the process of reconciliation. This article highlights how the modalities of the dialogue in each faculty correspond to each institution’s culture, approached through their history, social space, and sense of mission. Through interviews with faculty members and observations at public events at UQAM, UAlberta, and UMoncton, this article reveals the stark contrasts between the three case studies on topics such as traditional territory acknowledgements, Indigenous content in curricula, and recruitment of Indigenous faculty members and students. This analysis offers a deeper understanding of the diversity of legal education across Canada and what it means for the way law faculties respond to contemporary challenges.

Keywords: Legal Education, Canada, Indigenous, Institutional Cultures