Reconsidering the Border “Czar”: Leadership, Power, and the Need for a Return to Indigenous Matriarchal Ways

Reconsidering the Border “Czar”: Leadership, Power, and the Need for a Return to Indigenous Matriarchal Ways

ByAndrea

Matriarchal traditions offered structures where leadership was dispersed rather than vested in a single individual. Resolutions to community challenges—such as resource allocation, conflict mediation, or upholding nation-to nation treaties—arose through collaborative dialogue. This balanced approach is less prone to the pitfalls of unilateral decisions that are made far away from the people most affected.

Unmasking Colonial Legacies in EDI Initiatives

Unmasking Colonial Legacies in EDI Initiatives

ByAndrea

In today’s climate of heightened scrutiny of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives, Indigenous and anti-colonial perspectives are urgently needed to clarify why dismantling colonial structures remains a critical priority. Contemporary movements to roll back or “take down” EDI efforts often fail to account for the underlying colonial frameworks that created and sustain systemic inequities. From the vantage point of an Indigenous legal scholar, EDI is necessary but insufficient by itself; it must be part of a broader anti-colonial project that targets colonial power relations at their root.

Medicine Wheel Systems Theory (MWST): A Holistic Framework for Organizational Empowerment

Medicine Wheel Systems Theory (MWST): A Holistic Framework for Organizational Empowerment

ByAndrea

In a world dominated by colonial systems that prioritize profit, hierarchy, and individualism, organizations are increasingly seeking frameworks that foster equity, sustainability, and collective well-being. The Medicine Wheel Systems Theory (MWST), a powerful integration of the Indigenous Medicine Wheel and General Systems Theory (GST), offers a transformative approach to understanding and transforming organizations. MWST is a…

Navigating the Path to Reconciliation: The Imperative to Re-align Indigenous Strategic Plans with Authentic Legal Traditions

Navigating the Path to Reconciliation: The Imperative to Re-align Indigenous Strategic Plans with Authentic Legal Traditions

ByAndrea

In the wake of the pivotal Supreme Court of Canada decision Restoule v. Canada (2024), a glaring beacon shines on the necessity for meaningful adherence to Indigenous laws—not merely in the form of policies but as integral fibers within organizational structures. This recent judgment mandates the government to remunerate First Nations for historical Treaty breaches, sending an unequivocal message about the significance of upholding treaty obligations (Supreme Court of Canada, 2024).

Decolonizing Decisions

Decolonizing Decisions

ByAndrea

The guidebook is crafted to delve into the interconnectedness of
systems thinking, Indigenous law, the mandates of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission (TRC), and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples (UNDRIP). Rather than pigeonholing Indigenous peoples as mere
participants in existing structures, the guidebook argues for their recognition as
sovereign rights-holders within the multi-juridical context of Canada. Furthermore,
the guidebook challenges systemic limitations in Eurocentric legal frameworks that
have not yet fully recognized the distinct Indigenous legal systems that apply
universally across the lands currently called Canada, influencing all who inhabit
them.

Navigating Power Hierarchies: Social Dominance Theory in Indigenous Professionals’ Workplace Experiences

Navigating Power Hierarchies: Social Dominance Theory in Indigenous Professionals’ Workplace Experiences

ByAndrea

Within professional settings, individuals with a high Social Dominance Orientation may consciously or unconsciously exhibit behaviors that reinforce their group’s dominance. This can manifest through practices that promote in-group favoritism, exclusive networking circles, or the perpetuation of organizational norms that prioritize the values and working styles of the majority group (Sidanius & Pratto, 1999). These behaviors contribute to maintaining the status quo and can intensify feelings of marginalization among Indigenous professionals.

Reframing Academic Rigor: The Embedded Rigor of Indigenous Ontologies

Reframing Academic Rigor: The Embedded Rigor of Indigenous Ontologies

ByAndrea

Academic rigor is traditionally attributed to the methodical pursuit of knowledge within the halls of higher education. However, this recognition often bypasses the intricate systems of rigor that are inherent in Indigenous ontologies. These systems, defined by principles of care, responsibility, and relationality, hold profound standards of intellectual diligence that academia has yet to fully…

The Right to Comfort and Decolonization
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The Right to Comfort and Decolonization

ByAndrea

The ‘right to comfort’ is an unstated privilege often embedded within white consciousness—a belief that comfort, ease, and a seamless existence are almost natural rights that should not be disrupted. This psyche manifests when white people engage with decolonization in ways that do not threaten their standing, power, or material benefits. It becomes evident when hard truths about colonial legacies are met with defensiveness or calls for civility rather than reflection and action (Tuck & Yang, 2012).

Navigating the Intersections of Identity: Understanding Mobbing Among Indigenous Female Academics through an Intersectional Lens

Navigating the Intersections of Identity: Understanding Mobbing Among Indigenous Female Academics through an Intersectional Lens

ByAndrea

Abstract Mobbing in the workplace is a severe form of harassment that can have lasting effects on the victims. For Indigenous women in the academy, these experiences are compounded by intersecting oppressions stemming from their gender, race, ethnicity, culture, and sometimes socioeconomic status. This essay explores the phenomenon of mobbing as experienced by Indigenous female…

White Saviorism: A Barrier to Genuine Indigenization Efforts

White Saviorism: A Barrier to Genuine Indigenization Efforts

ByAndrea

Abstract White saviorism is a pervasive and complex phenomenon that has significant implications for Indigenous peoples’ struggles for sovereignty, empowerment, and decolonization. By positioning white individuals as the primary agents of change and saviors of Indigenous communities, white saviorism undermines the efforts toward genuine Indigenization. This blog analyses the detrimental impact of white saviorism on…

Dispossessed on Their Own Lands Occupied by Canada: Tackling the Crisis of Indigenous Houselessness

Dispossessed on Their Own Lands Occupied by Canada: Tackling the Crisis of Indigenous Houselessness

ByAndrea

The pervasive issue of houselessness among Indigenous peoples in Canada not only reveals the depth of societal divides but also calls for a significant paradigm shift in societal thinking and problem-solving approaches. The growing visibility of ‘tent cities’ and widespread homelessness is a stark indicator of these divisions. To effectively address these challenges, Canadian society must transition from an individualistic mindset to one that embraces Indigenous wholistic perspectives.

Beyond Symbolism: Embracing Indigenous Law for Transformative Reconciliation in Canada

Beyond Symbolism: Embracing Indigenous Law for Transformative Reconciliation in Canada

ByAndrea

The resignation of CN Rail’s Indigenous advisory council, as highlighted in Shari Narine’s report, is more than a corporate failure; it is emblematic of a systemic issue in reconciliation efforts in Canada. This incident underscores a crucial need for a fundamental shift not only in attitudes and acknowledgments but also in concrete policy, mandate, and…

The Integral Role of Reflection in Reconciliation: An Ongoing Process for Non-Indigenous Peoples

The Integral Role of Reflection in Reconciliation: An Ongoing Process for Non-Indigenous Peoples

ByAndrea

As a Michif legal scholar situated on the ancestral lands of the Métis Nation Homeland Region and Treaty 6 land, I frequently contemplate the inner work required of non-Indigenous peoples to advance substantive reconciliation. Critical self-reflection is essential for settlers to unpack their positionality within ongoing colonial systems and structures that dispossess and disempower Indigenous…

Disrupting Coloniality: The Decolonial Praxis of Lifelong Learning

Disrupting Coloniality: The Decolonial Praxis of Lifelong Learning

ByAndrea

As a Métis legal scholar working and teaching within post-secondary institutions, I contemplate the duty to Indigenize and decolonize the academy through learning, unlearning and relearning. These interconnected processes require disrupting coloniality – the multifaceted power structures that impose Eurocentric knowledge systems and culture as ideal while subalternizing Indigenous epistemes. Coloniality inherently dislocates Indigenous peoples…

Harmony in Diversity: The Community Center Allocation Dilemma

Harmony in Diversity: The Community Center Allocation Dilemma

ByAndrea

Case Study Overview: A new community center is sparking debate in a small town where Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents must share a communal space. The question at hand: Should the center dedicate space exclusively for Indigenous ceremonies and events, or should all cultural activities have equal precedence without special provisions? The committee, representing both populations,…

Social Location Wheel of Power & Privilege in Canadian Society

Social Location Wheel of Power & Privilege in Canadian Society

ByAndrea

Sylvia Duckworth’s Wheel of Power/Privilege organizes the various identities of a person on a wheel with the identities that hold the most power in our society placed at the center, and the identities that hold the least power in our society on the outskirts. The wheel is sectioned off into 12 categories, each marked by…

Snotty Nose Rez Kids (SNRK)

Snotty Nose Rez Kids (SNRK)

ByAndrea

/*! elementor – v3.20.0 – 10-04-2024 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=”.svg”]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} As a co-professor of the “In Search of Reconciliation Through Dispute Resolution” course at Osgoode Hall Law School, alongside my esteemed colleague Marc Bhalla, I am continually exploring innovative ways to enrich our curriculum and deepen our understanding of reconciliation. Marc’s brilliant suggestion…