Indigenous Legal Issues

PROJECT SUMMARY:

The project, hosted by Indigenous Climate Action (ICA), responds to growing requests from Indigenous communities seeking legal support in responding to government policies and launching legal challenges when rights are being violated. The students will be supporting ICA by performing legal research examining the federal Bill C-5 and major projects proposed under the legislation. Through this research, students will develop a legal “toolkit” to summarize the legal mechanisms available to Indigenous communities seeking to protect and advance their rights, with a focus on both domestic and international Indigenous rights frameworks. Students will provide research for ICA’s internal use and contribute to the plain-language “toolkit” that will be shared through ICA’s networks.

ROLE OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:

Research, compiling of information and resources, creation of plain-language PLE materials.

TYPE:

Public Legal Education

AREA(S) OF LAW:

Environmental Law, Aboriginal Law

COMMUNITY SERVED:

Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit, Métis), Children and Youth, Two-spirited Individuals.

NUMBER OF STUDENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

2-3 students. Second year student paired with an upper year student, or two first years and one upper

year student.

COMMITMENT:

3-5 hours/week - Virtual

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Indigenous candidates preferred but not required. Experience in Aboriginal Law and/or Environmental Law is an asset.

PROJECT SUMMARY AND ROLE OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:

The Indigenous Youth Outreach Program (IYOP) provides volunteers with an opportunity to contribute to justice education for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth while supporting the ongoing development of culturally relevant legal education resources. The project unfolds in three stages over the academic year:

October–November: Review of Justice Education Materials.

Volunteers will work in PBSC groups to review approximately 6 existing justice education materials and provide suggestions for revisions, updates, or enhancements. With guidance from the Level Justice team, volunteers will help ensure materials remain accurate, relevant, and reflective of criminal legal processes and Indigenous justice systems in the Toronto area. Feedback provided during this phase may be incorporated into future IYOP programming.

This component will be completed collaboratively with your PBSC volunteer group, with periodic check-ins required with the lawyer supervisor, Desneige Frandsen. Depending on program needs and volunteer availability, there may also be opportunities to support select IYOP sessions during this period.

January–March: Volunteer Mentor in IYOP Programming

Building on their familiarity with the program materials, volunteers will support the delivery of justice education sessions for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth aged 11–18. Working alongside the Level Justice Program Facilitator, volunteers will participate in up to 10 in-person or virtual sessions throughout the winter term.

March: Cultural Humility Reflection

At the conclusion of the project, volunteers will complete a brief Cultural Humility Reflection (1 sentence to 1 page) on their IYOP experience. The reflection encourages volunteers to consider how their perspectives evolved, what they learned about Indigenous communities and the justice system, and how the experience informed their understanding of justice and reconciliation.

TYPE: 

Client Services 

AREA(S) OF LAW: 

Criminal Law, Indigenous Law, Human Rights Law

COMMUNITY SERVED:

Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis), Children & Youth, Racialized communities

NUMBER OF STUDENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

7 students 

COMMITMENT:

3-5 hours per week. Hybrid - In either the Fall or Winter semester, volunteers will attend virtual or inperson IYOP educational sessions. In either the Fall or Winter semester, volunteers will work together in their volunteer groups to submit review justice education materials. A due date and virtual/remote check-in dates will be pre-determined with the volunteer group.

Please note that travel outside your local region may be necessary, so please budget at least 15– 30 minutes for travel.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Given the clientele served (youth), student volunteers should be comfortable working with youth and have a high degree of humility. A Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) may be required depending on the school the volunteer attends. If a VSC is required and if this provides undue hardship for the volunteer, Level will cover the cost.

PROJECT SUMMARY:

This research project explores the international and comparative treatment of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), focusing on how various international bodies and foreign courts interpret and apply the rights articulated in the declaration. It will investigate the treatment of these rights by international organizations, particularly the UN Human Rights Council, and examine how courts in different jurisdictions incorporate and interpret UNDRIP rights within their legal frameworks. Additionally, the project will assess whether and how these rights are contemplated and applied across various jurisdictions, providing a comparative analysis of different approaches to indigenous rights protection.

This project is informed by the supervising lawyers’ prior research and advocacy on UNDRIP, and will be used to inform future research and advocacy. In particular, please review the following articles for context for the research project:

Kevin Hille and Jesse Abell, “‘Breathing New Life’: The C92 Reference and the Status of UNDRIP in Canadian Law” (2025) 6 SCLR (3d) 173

Kevin Hille and Jesse Abell, “‘Where There Are Legal Rights There Are Remedies’: The Promise of Reconciliatory Remedies and the Limitations of Shot Both Sides’” (2026) 11 SCLR (3d) 323

ROLE OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:

Student volunteers will search for and review the decisions of international bodies and foreign courts to assess how they are addressing UNDRIP principles and related principles under parallel international instruments.

TYPE:

Research

AREA(S) OF LAW:

Human rights law, civil procedure, Aboriginal law

COMMUNITY SERVED:

Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis), People living in poverty

NUMBER OF STUDENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

1 student

COMMITMENT:

3-5 hours/week - Virtual

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Knowledge of or interest in international law, international human rights law and UNDRIP required.