Reclaiming  the  Language  of  Law:  The  Contemporary  Articulation  and   Application  of  Cree  Legal  Principles  in  Canada       by     Hadley  Louise  Friedland                   A  thesis  submitted  in  partial  fulfillment  of  the  requirements  for  the  degree  of       Doctor  of  Philosophy                     Faculty  of  Law   University  of  Alberta                         ©  Hadley  Louise  Friedland,  2016 Abstract     The  Truth  and  Reconciliation  Commission  of  Canada  states  the  revitalization  and   application  of  Indigenous  laws  is  vital  for  re-­‐establishing  respectful  relations  in   Canada.  It  is  also  vital  for  restoring  and  maintaining  safety,  peace  and  order  in   Indigenous  communities.  This  thesis  explores  how  to  accomplish  this  objective.  It   examines  current  challenges,  resources  and  opportunities  for  recovering,  learning   and  practicing  Indigenous  laws.  It  develops  a  highly  structured  methodology  for   serious  and  sustained  engagement  with  Indigenous  legal  traditions,  based  on   reviewing  existing  methods,  then  combining  the  methods  of  two  leading  Indigenous   legal  scholars,  John  Borrows  and  Val  Napoleon.  This  method  approaches  Indigenous   stories  as  jurisprudence.  It  uses  adapted  legal  analysis  and  synthesis  to  identify   Indigenous  legal  principles  from  stories  and  oral  histories  and  organize  these   principles  into  a  rigorous  and  transparent  analytical  framework.  These  legal   principles  can  then  be  readily  accessed,  understood  and  applied.     This  thesis  demonstrates  this  adapted  legal  analysis  method  is  teachable,   transferable  and  replicable,  using  research  outcomes  of  Cree  legal  principles   responding  to  violence,  harms  and  conflicts.  Through  the  example  of  a  foundational   Cree  legal  principle,  “wah-­ko-­to-­win”  (our  inter-­‐relatedness),  it  demonstrates  how   this  method  can  also  deepen  our  understanding  of  background  or  ‘meta-­‐principles’   within  Indigenous  legal  traditions,  which  can  help  us  interpret,  apply  and  change   laws  in  legitimate  ways.  It  then  demonstrates  how  the  research  outcomes  from  this   method  may  be  understood  and  applied  by  Indigenous  communities,  through  a  case   study  exploring  the  development  of  a  contemporary  Cree  criminal  justice  process     ii based  on  Cree  legal  principles,  by  and  with  the  Aseniwuche  Winewak.  Finally,  it   examines  the  current  narratives  about  the  appalling  rates  of  violence  against  and   over-­‐incarceration  of  Indigenous  people  in  Canada  and  the  existing  gap  between   legitimacy  and  enforcement.  It  proposes  Indigenous  legal  reasoning  as  a  bridge,  and   develops  the  conceit  of  the  “reasonable  Cree  person”  to  examine  whether  principled   Cree  legal  reasoning  can  be  explicitly  recognized  and  implemented  within  Canada’s   current  political  and  legal  systems.  It  concludes  that,  while  there  are  many  potential   spaces  for  doing  so,  more  intellectual  work  is  necessary  first,  in  which  both   Indigenous  and  non-­‐Indigenous  people  engage  with  Indigenous  laws  as  laws.  It  is   this  kind  of  deep  engagement  that  is  necessary  to  effectively  and  respectfully   operationalize  the  Truth  and  Reconciliation  Commission’s  compelling  calls  for   greater  recognition  of  Indigenous  laws  in  Canada.                                                 iii Preface     This  thesis  is  an  original  work  by  Hadley  Friedland.       The  research  project,  of  which  this  thesis  is  a  part,  received  research  ethics  approval   from  the  University  of  Alberta  Research  Ethics  Board,  Project  Name:  “Reclaiming  the   Language  of  Law:  Exploring  the  Contemporary  Articulation  and  Application  of  Cree   Legal  Principles  in  Canada”,  No.    Pro00049208,  April  27th,  2015.       Chapter  2  of  this  thesis  has  been  published  as  Hadley  Friedland,  “Reflective   Frameworks:  Methods  for  Accessing,  Understanding  and  Applying  Indigenous  Laws”   (2013)  11  (2)  Indigenous  Law  Journal  1.         Parts  of  this  thesis  are  reproduced  in  reports  that,  while  unpublished,  are  publically   available.       The  Cree  legal  summary  in  Chapter  3  has  been  reproduced  in  Hadley  Friedland,  The   AJR  Project  Cree  Legal  Traditions  Report  (May  2014),  prepared  for  the  Accessing   Justice  and  Reconciliation  Project,  on  file  with  the  University  of  Victoria  Indigenous   Law  Research  Unit,  the  Indigenous  Bar  Association,  the  Truth  and  Reconciliation   Commission  of  Canada,  the  Ontario  Law  Foundation,  and  the  Aseniwuche  Winewak,   online:   http://indigenousbar.ca/indigenouslaw/wpcontent/uploads/2012/12/cree_summ ary.pdf.  I  relied  on  research  and  interviews  conducted  by  Kris  Statnyk,  Aaron  Mills   and  Carol  Wanyandie.  Maegan  Hough  and  Renee  McBeth  edited  it.       Some  of  the  results  and  discussion  in  Chapter  4  have  been  reproduced  in  Hadley   Friedland,  Aseniwuche  Winewak  Justice  Project  Report:  Creating  a  Cree  Legal  Process   Using  Cree  Legal  Principles  (October,  2015),  prepared  for  the  Aseniwuche  Winewak   Nation,  on  file  with  the  University  of  Victoria  Indigenous  Law  Research  Unit  and  the   Aseniwuche  Winewak.    I  relied  on  interviews  conducted  by  Kris  Statnyk  and  Carol   Wanyandie  and  research  conducted  by  Margot  Bishop,  Margaret  Lovely  and  Kris   Statnyk,  funded  through  the  Indigenous  Law  Research  Unit,  University  of  Victoria   Faculty  of  Law.                               iv Dedication       This  dissertation  is  dedicated  to  the  Aseniwuche  Winewak.       It  is  also  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  those  Aseniwuche  Winewak  elders  and  friends   who  had  an  enormous  influence  on  my  work  and  my  life,  and  passed  on  during  this   project.       Dean  Wanyandie  was  my  first  law  teacher,  and  started  me  on  this  path  with  a  story   by  a  river  many  years  ago.  He  never  flinched  from  talking  about  the  tough  stuff,   insisted  on  common  sense,  and  pushed  me  to  trust  myself  and  speak  honestly.       Lucy  Wanyandie’s  strength  and  endurance  was  unparalleled,  and  Marie  McDonald   embodied  love  and  acceptance.  My  brother-­‐in-­‐law,  James  Wanyandie,  a  gifted  and   gentle  man,  and  wonderful  father,  taught  me  so  much  about  the  power  of  kindness   and  generosity.       I  am  very  grateful  for  all  I  learned  from  you  during  your  time  here.  I  hope  you   recognize  the  rightness  and  dignity  of  your  decision-­‐making  in  these  pages.                                                           v Acknowledgements     Many  people  and  organizations  supported  this  thesis.       This  project  would  not  have  been  possible  without  support  from  the  Social  Sciences   and  Humanities  Research  Council,  including  a  Vanier  Canada  Graduate  Scholarship   and  an  Impact  Talent  Award.  My  participation  in  the  Legitimus  Project  has  been   beneficial,  on  many  levels.       I  rely  heavily  on  my  learning  from  the  research  process  and  research  results  from   the  Accessing  Justice  and  Reconciliation  Project,  a  partnership  between  the   Indigenous  Law  Research  Unit,  University  of  Victoria  Faculty  of  Law,  the  Indigenous   Bar  Association  and  the  Truth  and  Reconciliation  Commission  of  Canada,  funded  by   the  Ontario  Law  Foundation.  I  am  grateful  to  have  had  the  opportunity,  in  my  role  as   research  coordinator,  to  apply  this  method  on  such  a  scale,  in  such  a  meaningful   project.  I  was  privileged  to  work  with  incredible  colleagues  and  participate  in  many   rich  conversations  in  communities  and  events  across  Canada.  These  people  and   experiences  have  all  contributed  immeasurably  to  this  work.       The  Aseniwuche  Winewak  Nation  was  a  true  partner  in  my  research.  This  thesis  is   deeply  informed  by  the  leadership,  elders  and  community  members’  goals,  vision,   guidance  and  generosity.  Thank  you  for  trusting  me  to  hear  and  honour  your  words   and  wisdom,  and  for  always  being  so  willing  to  contribute  your  unique  knowledge  in   order  to  teach  and  enrich  the  broader  community.       My  co-­‐supervisors  and  committee  are  an  extraordinarily  brilliant,  inspiring  and  kind   group  of  scholars,  who  have  all  been  generous  with  their  time,  knowledge  and   support.  Thank  you  to  my  co-­‐supervisor,  Val  Napoleon.  You  connected  worlds  and   opened  new  ones.  You  were  the  perfect  teacher  and  mentor  for  me.  You  provided   countless  unique  learning  opportunities.  Thank  you  to  my  co-­‐supervisor  Mathew   Lewans,  for  your  staunch  support  and  encouragement,  as  well  as  your  advice,   insights  and  adept  infusion  of  legal  theory  that  so  enriched  my  work.  Thank  you  to   my  committee  members,  John  Borrows,  Janine  Brodie  and  George  Pavlich,  for   making  time  for  me  despite  your  many  responsibilities  and  other  demands.  I  also   must  say  that  my  own  work  would  not  even  be  imaginable  without  both  Val  and   John’s  groundbreaking  work  and  willingness  to  kindly  and  generously  support  and   guide  so  many  younger  scholars,  including  me.  I  hope  any  good  in  my  work  stands   as  a  tribute  to  your  own.       The  University  of  Alberta  Faculty  of  Law  has  been  a  warm  and  collegial  place  to   work  from.  Special  thanks  to  Mr.  Justice  Russell  Brown,  who  was  a  great  co-­‐ supervisor  before  being  called  to  the  bench,  Eric  Adams  for  ably  chairing  both  my   candidacy  and  final  exams,  Linda  Reif,  who  was  a  smart,  kind  and  collegial  mentor,   during  and  after  her  time  as  Associate  Dean  of  Graduate  Studies,  and  Ted  DeCoste,     vi who  taught  a  graduate  seminar  we  argued  our  way  through,  only  to  end  up  co-­‐ writing  a  paper  together  by  the  end.       I  am  grateful  to  have  also  had  an  amazing  circle  of  diverse  interlocutors  during  this   work.       I  am  thankful  for  mentorship  and  role-­‐modeling,  as  well  as  many  influential  and   enlightening  conversations  over  the  years  with  elders  and  community  members   from  Aseniwuche  Winewak,  including  Danny  McDonald,  Rachelle  McDonald,  Tom   McDonald,  Alice  Moberly,  Marianne  Moberly,  Edna  Wanyandie,  Robert  Wanyandie,   Vicky  Wanyandie  and  Brenda  Young,  as  well  as  elders  Adelaide  McDonald,  Mary   McDonald  and  Mabel  Wanyandie.  David  MacPhee’s  arguments  (and  our  more   serious  conversations)  have  been  especially  helpful.  Hilda  Hallock’s  fearless  and   compassionate  discussions  of  the  unspeakable,  and  Carol  Wanyandie’s  insights,   advice  and  translation  as  community  coordinator  were  essential.       Over  the  last  six  years,  too  many  people  to  name  have  graciously  invited  Val   Napoleon  and  myself  into  their  communities  to  share  this  method.  Your  active   engagement,  insights,  questions  and  advice  have  improved  and  developed  my  own   thinking.  Kelly  Connor  and  Bonnie  Leonard  from  the  Shuswap  National  Tribal   Council  took  this  method  further  than  anyone  else,  including  myself.  I  have  learned   a  lot  from  you  and  your  work  has  informed  my  own.     I  am  sure  I  will  miss  some  names,  but  am  deeply  appreciative  of  the  many   conversations  about  this  work  with  a  welcoming  community  of  experienced   scholars  and  contemporary  academic  colleagues,  including  Elizabeth  Adjin-­‐Tettey,   Jessica  Asch,  Hannah  Askew,  Cathy  Bell,  Andree  Boisselle,  Lindsay  Borrows,  Gillian   Calder,  Estella  Charleson,  Gerry  Ferguson,  Lori  Groft,  Al  Hanna,  Maegan  Hough,   Rebecca  Johnson,  Shalene  Jobin,  Johnny  Mack,  Renee  McBeth,  Aaron  Mills,  Astrid   Perez-­‐Pinan,  Pierrot  Ross-­‐Tremblay,  Judith  Sayers,  Kerry  Sloan,  Emily  Snyder,  Kris   Statnyk,  Jim  Tully  and  Jeremy  Webber.  I  have  had  the  benefit  of  open–minded  and   illuminating  discussions  with  colleagues  in  the  legal  profession  about  this  work,   including  Associate  Chief  Justice  John  Rooke,  who  has  been  very  supportive,  Judge   John  Higgerty,  Judge  Donald  Norheim,  Jim  Kindrake,  Amy  Martin-­‐LeBlanc,  Ron   Stevenson,  and  many  other  colleagues  from  the  Department  of  Justice,  Canada.       Last  but  not  least,  I  want  to  thank  my  family  –  my  remarkable  children,  Davita  and   Asher,  my  partner,  Ken,  my  mom,  Joan,  and  my  sister,  Jess,  for  all  of  your  incredible   support,  insights  (and  patience)  through  this  long  journey.  Thank  you  to  my  brother   Eli,  for  your  insightful  feedback,  and  my  brother  Amos,  who  convinced  me  to  start   law  school  in  the  first  place,  and  never  doubted  me,  even  when  I  doubted  myself.   And  thank  you  to  my  very  special  little  niece,  Gemma,  for  giving  me  the  opportunity   to  live  this,  for  reminding  me  that  love  is  the  answer,  and  love  is  an  action.  I  would   do  it  all  over  again  in  an  instant.  You  are  a  bright  light  who  infuses  our  lives  with  joy   and  hope.         vii Table  of  Contents     Chapter  1:  Introduction  –Law,  Suffering  and  Reconciliation……………………………1     Chapter  2:  Ay-­si-­mam-­iko-­siya:  Methods  for  Accessing,  Understanding  and   Applying  Indigenous  Laws………………………………………………………………………………12     1. Introduction:  The  First  Stream     2. Approaches  to  Engaging  with  Indigenous  Legal  Traditions:  Resources,   Challenges  and  Analytical  Frameworks   a. Identification  of  Legal  Resources   b. More  Challenges  for  Increased  Practical  Engagement  with  Indigenous   Legal  Traditions   c. Indigenous  Scholars’  Analytical  Frameworks  for  Accessing,  Analyzing  and   Applying  Indigenous  Laws     3. Next  Steps  for  Legal  Scholars   a. Learning  from  and  Building  on  the  Frameworks   b. A  Case  Study:  Applying  Legal  Analysis  and  Synthesis  to  a  ‘Deep  Slice’  of   Cree  Law  for  the  Wetiko  (Windigo)  Legal  Principles  Project   c. The  Project:  Wetiko  (Windigo)  Legal  Principles   d. Legal  Resources:  Sifting  through  the  Stereotypes   e. Method:  Applying  Legal  Analysis  and  Synthesis  to  Learn  about  the  Wetiko   Legal  Category   f. Research  Results   g. How  This  Method  Addresses  Challenges     4. Conclusion:  Another  Stream     Chapter  3:  Applying  the  Method  –  The  Accessing  Justice  and  Reconciliation   Project  and  the  Cree  Legal  Synthesis………………………………………………………………72     1. Introduction     2. The  AJR  Project       3. The  Cree  Legal  Summary   a. Legal  Processes:  Characteristics  of  legitimate  decision-­‐making/problem-­‐ solving  processes   b. Legal  Responses  and  Resolutions:  What  principles  govern  appropriate   responses  to  legal/  human  issues?   c. Legal  Obligations:  What  principles  govern  individual  and  collective   responsibilities?  What  are  the  “shoulds”?   d. Legal  Rights:  What  should  people  be  able  to  expect  from  others?     viii e. General  Underlying  Principles:  What  underlying  or  recurrent  themes   emerge  in  the  stories  and  interviews  that  might  not  be  captured  above?       4. Conclusion       Chapter  4:  Wah-­ko-­to-­win:  Laws  for  a  Society  of  Relationships…………………152     1. Introduction:  Rich  in  Relations     2. Bringing  out  the  Background     3. The  Concern:  Distortions     4. Wah-­‐ko-­‐to-­‐win:  Relationships  as  Central  and  Foundational   a. Living  within  Larger  Relationships   b. Recognizing  the  Fact  of  Relationships   c. Relationships  as  Rationale   d. Relationships  as  Resources     5. Conclusion:  Wah-­ko-­to-­win       Chapter  5:  Creating  a  Cree  Justice  Process  using  Cree  Legal  Principles…….…196     1. Introduction     2. A  Cree  Justice  Process  for  the  Aseniwuche  Winewak  –  History  and  Aspirations   of  the  Proposal     3. Methodology  for  Community  Feedback     4. A  Contemporary  Cree  Justice  Process  –  General  Feedback   a. Analysis   b. Discussion     5. Using  Cree  Legal  Principles  in  a  Cree  Justice  Process-­‐  Specific  Feedback   a. Analysis   b. Discussion     6. Conclusion             ix Chapter  6:  Navigating  Through  Narratives  of  Despair:  Making  Space  for  the   Cree  Reasonable  Person  in  the  Canadian  Justice  System……………………………262     1. Introduction     2. The  Reasonable  Cree  Person     3. A  Logical  Starting  Point     4. The  Cree  Legal  Tradition  as  a  Reasoning  Process     5. The  Cree  Reasonable  Person’s  Tools  for  Practical  Reason   a. Wah-­‐ko-­‐to-­‐win   b. Good-­‐Heartedness,  Kindness,  Generosity  and  Hospitality   c. Education,  Guidance  and  Support   d. Case  by  Case  Reasoning  through  Cree  Legal  Principles     6. Narratives  about  Violence  against  Indigenous  Women  and  Children   a. The  Media  Narrative   b. State  Law’s  Narratives   c. The  Trauma  Narrative     7. Spaces  for  Indigenous  Laws  in  the  Canadian  Justice  System   a. The  Supreme  Court’s  Gladue  Principles  and  Directives   b. Current  Access  to  Justice  and  Community  Justice  Initiatives  for  Aboriginal   People   c. Challenges  and  Critiques  of  Community  Justice  and  Healing  Programs     8. Safety  First?     9. The  Reasonable  Cree  Person’s  Place  in  the  Current  Justice  System     10. Restarting  the  Conversation:  Recovering  Indigenous  Legal  Traditions     11.  Conclusion     Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………………………..333     Appendix  A:  AJR  Project  Community  Participant  Information  Package…………......350       Appendix  B:  AWN  Cree  Justice  Project  Participant  Information  Package…………...352           x