Indigenous Law: Rights, Treaties and Protections

Students will examine Canadian laws and Indigenous peoples, focusing on the sources of indigenous rights, including the Constitution, treaties and leading decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada protecting those rights. Students will explore historical events such as those including land protests, residential schools and removal of children from families by government and how they inform legal issues surrounding self-government and the duty to consult, especially in relation to resource development. International law pertaining to Indigenous issues, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples will be discussed.