Legal work with Indigenous Peoples often turns on questions of authority: which sources of law are being relied on, how authority is exercised, and how Indigenous governing authorities can advance their priorities in ways that are true to their legal traditions and, as desired, effective in Canadian legal contexts. Artemis Advocacy provides legal services for Indigenous governing authorities, organizations, and individuals, with a practice focus that engages both Indigenous legal orders and Aboriginal law.

Indigenous legal orders and Aboriginal law are distinct sources of law. Indigenous legal orders are the living legal traditions of Indigenous Peoples that predate the nation-state of Canada and the colonies that preceded it, and that continue to evolve today. Aboriginal law is the body of Canadian common law governing the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous peoples.

My dual law degrees in Canadian common law and Indigenous legal orders, through the University of Victoria’s Juris Doctor and Juris Indigenarum Doctor program, shape how I approach this work. As part of that program, I had the opportunity to learn about Indigenous legal orders in embedded, relational ways, learning from knowledge keepers and Nation members through practicum-style work in service of Indigenous Nations. This education and experience helped me develop a deeper understanding of those legal traditions and learn the most appropriate ways of conducting myself in my relationships with Indigenous clients and Indigenous Peoples more broadly. I have also taught in that program as a Limited Term Assistant Professor and, before that, as a Teaching Assistant.

This practice area includes work grounded in inherent Indigenous law and governance, alongside advice and advocacy in Canadian regulatory and legal settings where nation-state and subnational decision making affects Indigenous Peoples. It also includes negotiation and drafting work where lasting written agreements must reflect Indigenous authority and protect Nations’ rights and interests, leading to positive change today and over time.

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