Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) / Cree Nation Government Dec., 2018 – Just over a decade ago – when the Department of Justice and Correctional Services was created – they started down the path of establishing an Indigenous justice system that reflects Cree values,
culture and way of life. This is unique in Canada and rarely seen elsewhere in the world. Their over-all mission is to:

1.      Provide quality services for Cree people in the Cree communities and judicial district of Abitibi.
2.      Increase accessibility to the justice system.
3.      Reduce crime and victimization in the Cree Nation.
4.      Enhance community safety through a Cree global crime prevention strategy, and by partnering with key Cree entities.
5.      Reinforce and promote traditional values in the Cree Nation to better deal with the root causes of our challenges and the negative impacts they produce.
Provide a more restorative (holistic) treatment of Cree people in detention facilities.

Akwesasne Mohawk Territory
Akwesasne is the first and only Indigenous community in Canada to have established a court “for Indigenous people and by Indigenous people.” The court enforces 32 civil laws, while criminal matters remain the jurisdiction of the province or the federal government. Queen’s University Law School held a workshop to educate them about Indigenous legal principles which are expected to become more important to Canada’s legal landscape in the future.

Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge
The Faculty of Law and Faculty of Native Studies and at the University of Alberta announce funding from the Alberta Law Foundation to support Indigenous law and governance through community-led collaborative research and engagement. The initiative will collaborate with Indigenous communities on the recognition, revitalization and practice of Indigenous laws and governance principles. Wahkohtowin was first funded in December of 2018 and will begin planning its core research and work developing Indigenous law starting May 2019.