MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release
January 25, 2007
(Toronto) - On January 26-27, 2007, the Indigenous Law Journal at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, in partnership with the Aboriginal Law Students' Association, the Indigenous Bar Association, the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Law Foundation of Ontario, will host a conference: Indigenous Law and Legal Systems: Recognition and Revitalization. Distinguished scholar James Anaya from the University of Arizona will deliver the keynote address on Indigenous law and its contribution to global pluralism.
Prof. Anaya is internationally renowned for his outstanding work and activism in the area of human rights, pro bono and professional responsibility. He has defended the rights of indigenous peoples from several countries before various international institutions and domestic courts, laying the ground work for a number of landmark decisions. Other special guests include the Hon. Frank Iacobucci who will speak about the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, and leading Aboriginal scholars Brian Slattery, James Sakej Henderson and Kent McNeil, who have all made significant contributions to Aboriginal and treaty rights, land claims, and Indigenous heritage, knowledge, and culture.
"We are deeply honoured to welcome North America's most distinguished Aboriginal scholars to the U of T Law School," said Dean Mayo Moran. "Our faculty has a long tradition of academic leadership in this important area of study. Our students have also shown tremendous leadership in starting a legal journal to explore themes in Aboriginal law."
The Indigenous Law Journal is a student-run legal journal at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. It is the first and only Canadian legal journal to exclusively publish articles regarding Indigenous legal issues and is dedicated to developing dialogue and scholarship in the field of Indigenous legal issues both in Canada and internationally.
To view the program please go to: http://www.indigenouslawjournal.org. A video webcast of the conference will be available shortly after the conference ends at http://mediacast.ic.utoronto.ca.
What: The John and Mary A. Yaremko Forum on Multiculturalism and Human Rights Conference: Indigenous Law and Legal Systems: Recognition and Revitalization
Where: Bennett Lecture Hall, Flavelle House, Faculty of Law, 78 Queen's Park
When: January 26-27, 2007; 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
-30-
For more information, please contact:
Jane Kidner, Assistant Dean, External Relations, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
(416) 978-6702 or j.kidner@utoronto.ca
Biography of Keynote Speaker
James Anaya is James J. Lenoir Professor of Human Rights Law and Policy at the University of Arizona. He has a B.A. from the University of New Mexico and a Juris Doctor from Harvard University College of Law. Prof. Anaya is an accomplished author in the area of Indigenous peoples and International Law. He has given numerous speeches and presentations worldwide at universities, academic and professional conferences, and meetings convened by non-governmental organizations, governments, and international institutions. Prof. Anaya has been, and continues to be dedicated to public service in many ways. He is currently an Associate Justice for the Court of Appeals of the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe, the chairperson of the board of the Rainforest Foundation-US , a program affiliate for the Non-Violent Sanctions and Cultural Survival Program at the Weatherhead Center for International affairs at Harvard, a member of the Advisory Council for the Australian Indigenous Law Reporter, and the immediate past president of the Asociacion para la Docencia y la Investigacion de los Derechos de los Pueblos Indigenas. Prof. Anaya has and continues to serve as counsel for many Indigenous groups, a lecturer and curriculum coordinator for numerous courses in human rights, a consultant for a range of Indigenous groups and councils, and has sat as a member on numerous boards.
Shortlist of Speakers and Topics
Ms. Cindy Blackstock: "From Gathering Dust back to Gathering Strength: First Nations Children Lead the Way"
Prof. Gordon Christie: "Culture, Self-Determination and Colonialism: Issues Around the Revitalization of Indigenous Legal Traditions"
Prof. Willy Ermine: "Ethical Space: Transforming Relations"
Prof. James Sakej Henderson: "Comprehending First Nations Jurisprudence"
Prof. Shin Imai: "Challenges to the Recognition of Indigenous Laws and Legal Systems in Latin America"
Prof. Darlene Johnston: "Aboriginal Traditions of Tolerance and Reparation"
Prof. Del Laverdure: "Comparative Analysis of Indigenous Governance in Canada and the U.S."
Prof. Kent McNeil: "Indigenous Nations and the Legal Relativity of European Claims to Territorial Sovereignty in North America"
Prof. Bradford Morse: "An Overview of the Implicit and Explicit Recognition of Indigenous Law in Canada"
Prof. Benjamin Richardson: "Protecting Indigenous Peoples through Socially Responsible Investment"
Prof. Brian Slattery: "The Metamorphosis of Aboriginal Title"
Ms. Jean Teillet: "Translating Traditional Laws into Western Forms"
