The Seven Grandfather Teachings are a set of guiding principles that have been passed down through generations by the Anishnaabe Nations. The teachings include Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth, and offer a powerful foundation for ethical lawyering and decolonizing legal practices and systems. These teachings can be applied in legal practice to gain a deeper understanding and respect towards the differences in approaching problems, unlearn current approaches, and develop newer, more thoughtful, and creative solutions.
Read more: The Seven Grandfather Teachings: An Ethical Framework for Decolonizing Legal Practice
The Grandmother Perspective: Indigenizing Data
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- Written by Andrea Menard Andrea Menard
- Created: 28 February 2023 28 February 2023
In recent years, the importance of disaggregated data in uncovering systemic racism and inequalities has become increasingly clear. This data, which provides sub-categories of information such as by ethnic group, gender, occupation, or educational status, can reveal important relationships and disparities that aggregated data may miss. However, collecting and using this data can also cause harm if not done correctly. This is why BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (BCOHRC) released a report in 2020 with recommendations on how to mitigate these potential harms while still leveraging the power of disaggregated data to create systemic change.
A Call to Action: Overcoming Linguistic Barriers and Oppression Towards Indigenous Peoples in the Justice System
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- Written by Andrea Menard Andrea Menard
- Created: 28 February 2023 28 February 2023
In Canada, Indigenous people face significant challenges when interacting with the justice system, including linguistic barriers. Unfortunately, there are numerous stories of police officers and lawyers who assume that an Indigenous person who speaks with an accent is drunk. These individuals wield ultimate power and authority in their positions, and their lack of understanding that Indigenous Peoples can know more than one language, including complex Indigenous languages that may be unfamiliar to delicate colonial ears, can wreak havoc in someone’s life. Such assumptions represent a significant failure in the Canadian education system and highlight the widespread racism and bias that assumes someone is drunk instead of recognizing their different linguistic background.
How to Indigenize Decision-Making Processes and the Importance of Self Reflection and Bravery
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- Written by Andrea Menard Andrea Menard
- Created: 28 February 2023 28 February 2023
