Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples: Presentation by Larry Chartrand, Executive Director and Troy Chalifoux, President, Aboriginal Law Students Association, Indigenous Law Program, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta

This file contains a presentation by Larry Chartrand and Troy Chalifoux of the Indigenous Law Program at the University of Alberta. Chartrand wonders if "my promoting the virtues of a legal education to Aboriginal students is essentially promoting Aboriginal society, or are we promoting the continued subjugation of Aboriginal people by the European-based colonial powers?" He notes that Aboriginal students will learn "about Sioui v. The Queen, wherein the court makes a reference to the significance of a treaty between an Aboriginal Nation and the English Crown. Essentially the court said that the treaty was almost an international treaty, but not quite; rather it was sui generis. Thus, an Aboriginal student completes his legal education with the notion that Aboriginal peoples are almost a people, but not quite." Taylor feels that from the perspective of Aboriginal law students there are strong motivations for non-acceptance of the mainstream, and there should be a separate law school institution for Aboriginal people. A question-and-answer session with the Commissioners follows the presentation.