Truth and Reconciliation - Law Society of Alberta

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Truth and Reconciliation

These resources support Alberta lawyers in understanding the historical and current impacts that Canadian law has on Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) in Canada and participating in reconciliation.

If you have feedback on any resource, please email Education.

Resource	Description	Topic	Audience	Format	Publisher
But I Was Wearing a Suit	This is a mini-documentary about the racism that Indigenous lawyers and law students face within the legal profession, and provides an opportunity for us to examine ourselves as a profession and take steps to correct unconscious bias and stereotypes about Indigenous Peoples.	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Video	External Source
Cultural Competency: A Necessary Skill for the 21st Century Attorney	Cultural competency is an essential skillset for the 21st century lawyer who seeks to deliver effective advocacy and serve justice. This paper defines cultural competency and how it can be applied to the work of a lawyer.	Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Paper/Journal	External Source
Truth and Reconciliation Toolkit for Firms	This Toolkit was developed to help firms learn to be a better ally, engage with Indigenous advisors, recruit and retain Indigenous talent, and more. This Toolkit can be used as a guide to begin or extend a firms Reconciliation journey. Each curated section includes examples, templates and important links.	Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Guide, Website	External Source
Communicating Effectively with Indigenous Clients	This Guide outlines obstacles that confront Indigenuous clients when building a relationship with their counsel and when appearing in court and alert the reader to how linguistic prejudice can disadvantage their clients.	Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Guide	External Source
Guide for Lawyers Working with Indigenous Peoples, and First Supplement	This Guide is intended to be a starting resource to help lawyers and others in the justice system to learn about Indigenous cultures and understand the interplay between Indigenous legal orders and the Canadian legal system.	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples, Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Guide	External Source
Indigenous Peoples: Language Guidelines	This Guide is intended to help navigate the different terminology and usages associated with Indigenous Peoples	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples, Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Guide	External Source
Trauma-Informed Legal Practice Toolkit	This resource outlines what trauma-informed legal practice is, why lawyers and judges need to understand the impacts of trauma, why law schools need to teach trauma-informed practice and what trauma-informed practice looks like in the lawyer-client relationship and in the courtroom.	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples, Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	In-House, Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Guide	External Source
The Trauma-Informed Lawyer	Myrna McCallum and her guests shine a light on a critical ethical competency for lawyers, trauma-informed lawyering. This do-no-further-harm, relational approach to the practice of law provides education in trauma, resilience, compassion, empathy, humility, boundaries, vicarious trauma and good professional relationship strategies.	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples, Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Podcast	External Source
Indigenous Peoples and the Law: A Guide to Restorative Justice and Indigenous Courts	In this 2021 video, Legal Aid Alberta lawyers Grace Auger and Jessica Buffalo and justice navigator Stephen Shirt explain how Indigenous Courts and restorative justice work.	Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Video	External Source
The Gladue Principles: A Guide to the Jurisprudence	This Guide outlines how greater action can be taken to implement the Gladue Principles, including deciding how to act in relation to an Indigenous accused and strive to find justice through a deep understanding of the intersection of colonialism and criminal justice.	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples, Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Book, Guide	External Source
The Witness Blanket	Inspired by a woven blanket, the Witness Blanket is a large-scale work of art that contains hundreds of items reclaimed from residential schools, churches, government buildings and traditional and cultural structures from across Canada. Explore the items and stories carried by the Witness Blanket.	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples, Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Website	External Source
Indigenous Court Connected Services in Alberta	A list of Indigenous Court Services with contact information in Alberta	Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Guide	Law Society of Alberta
Indigenous Education Series: Guide for Lawyers Working with Indigenous Peoples	Hear David Nahwegahbowmore and Racquel Fraser talk about practical tips and the guide created to assist lawyers and other legal advisors, and litigation counsel in particular, as they work with Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples) and Indigenous issues in Canada.	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples, Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Video	Law Society of Alberta
Indigenous Education Series: TRC 101	Hear Kathleen Mahoney, KC, lead negotiator for the Assembly of First Nations in designing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), talk about what the TRC is, where it came from and why it is so important.	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples, Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Management, Private Practice, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Video	Law Society of Alberta
Journey to the Law National Indigenous People's Day Webinar	On June 21, 2023, the Law Society hosted a webinar in recognition of Indigenous People’s Day. Hosted by Jessica Buffalo, the Law Society’s Indigenous Counsel, Jessica Buffalo, Tayla Basawa, Katelynn Cave and Krysia Przepiorka discuss their personal experiences, issues in the profession, key resources and how to continue to move forward in their journeys.	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples, Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Webinar	Law Society of Alberta
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada	Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) works to renew the nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, government-to-government relationship between Canada and First Nations, Inuit and Métis; modernize Government of Canada structures to enable Indigenous peoples to build capacity and support their vision of self-determination; and lead the Government of Canada's work in the North. Recommended resources to review include the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Article, Guide	External Source
Cultural IQ and Indigenous Cultural Competence Resource	This resource contains information about the lived experiences of members from equity-deserving groups, explanations of unconscious bias and tools for tackling it, what it means to cultivate cultural competency and increase your cultural IQ, and suggestions on how to reduce barriers of entry and retention in the legal profession.	Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management	Article, Guide	Law Society of Alberta
Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge Resource Library	The Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge provides accessible public legal education resources to support the development, use and understanding of Indigenous laws.	Truth Regarding the Experience of Indigenous Peoples, Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Article, Video	External Source
Land Acknowledgment Guide	The Land Acknowledgement Guide is designed to provide you with an overview of the things you may consider and include when writing a land acknowledgement.	Support for Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Article, Guide	Law Society of Alberta

Educational resources in this section are intended for the legal profession as an aid and are not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice. Readers must exercise their professional judgment about the accuracy, utility and applicability of the material. The Law Society of Alberta and Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association (ALIA) accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions in any resource. If you find any information that is unclear, inaccurate or outdated, please send an email with details to Education.

Any third-party resources are suggested for information and reference only. The Law Society and ALIA are not responsible for the accuracy, content or information contained in these sites. Views expressed in these resources are the views of the authors individually and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Law Society or ALIA.