On March 22, 2024, Aboriginal Legal Services (ALS) Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Program hosted a conference on Indigenous Legal Traditions. The venue, Gathering Place on the Grand, is located on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory.
During the day, Tehahenteh, Mohawk Nation, Turtle Clan, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper, discussed Justice and the Great Law (Kaianere’kó:wa). The Honourable Justice Gethin Edward, Ontario Court of Justice, Brantford Indigenous Persons Court, spoke about Incorporating Indigenous Law into Decisions. Dr. Beverley Jacobs, Mohawk Nation, Bear Clan, Senior Advisor to the President on Indigenous Relations and Outreach, University of Windsor focused on Indigenous Legal Orders.
ALS’s Indigenous Knowledge Keepers Dawniss Aguonia-Smith, Jan Kahehti:io Longboat, Yvonne Thomas, Tehahenteh, George Doxtater, and Peter Schuler concluded the conference by discussing their roles in the court, and how to implement Indigenous legal traditions.
Yvonne Thomas brought Wampum Belts to the conference through the Jake Thomas Learning Centre (https://jakethomaslearningcentre.ca/). George Doxtater and Peter Schuler opened and closed the conference.
A huge thank you to Edna Campos, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Program Coordinator and Lisa Van Every, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Program Coordinator, and Road to Your Name Coordinator, for all their work toward the day.