By Casey Caines While the recognition of Indigenous jurisdiction expands across Canada, the question of enforcement  remains one of the most persistent barriers to Indigenous justice systems. As Justice Canada’s Exploring Indigenous Justice Systems in Canada and Around the World  report found, there are significant barriers in enforcing Indigenous laws, or even bylaws under the Indian Act.  Similarly, the Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge, in partnership with the Indigenou

Entrance to abandoned gold mine in Goldstream Provincial Park, near Victoria, British Columbia. Clint Lalonde, CC BY 4.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons. By Megan Reti In December, the British Columbia (“BC”) Court of Appeal released the Gitxaala v British Columbia (Chief Gold Commissioner) , 2025 BCCA 430  decision, which considers the relationship between BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act , SBC 2019, c 44  [DRIPA

Tawow! In November, the Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge was happy to welcome our 2025/2026 Scholar in Residence, Professor Larry Chartrand  for his public seminar “Applying Métis Legal Principles to the Question of a National Definition of Métis.”  Professor Chartrand, renowned Métis legal scholar and a Professor Emeritus at the University of Ottawa, spoke about his experience on the Métis National Council Expert Panel which provided the MNC Expert Panel’s Report . This

Photo by Mladen Borisov  on Unsplash Tawow! As nations revitalize and stand up their laws, discussions around enforcement have increasingly emerged at the forefront of priorities. At the Indigenous Bar Association’s  recent panel on “ Enforcement of First Nations Laws & Nation Building, ”   Alyson Bear , Ceilidh Stubbs , and Casey Caines  emphasized a truth echoed across many Nations: revitalizing Indigenous law and legal orders means more than writing laws—it requires rebuil