Indigenous Peoples, Art, Law, and Canada at 150

• Author: Jeffery Hewitt
• Pages: 202-217



IndigenousPeoples

ArtLawandCanadaat

JeeryHewi*

This lecture was originally delivered in Toronto for the Law Society of Upper

Canada’s Special Lecture Series, and was accompanied by a series of slides, con-

taining art and imagery discussed herein. What follows is my contribution to

theSpecialLectureseriesandisnotquiteadirecttranscriptofthetalkthough

largelybasedonitInadditionanumberofaendeesapproachedmetoinquire

about further readings, so I have very lightly footnoted this chapter to provide

those interested with suggested additional readings.

Iamgratefulforthismorningsopeningandtheacknowledgementof

landandpeopleAspartoftheprotocolIhavebeentaughtIalsoac

knowledgeweareintheterritoryoftheMississaugasofNewCreditI

dothisbecauseasanehiyawCreemanlivinginAnishinaabeterritory

partofthelawsofmypeopleasIunderstandthemrequirethatwhen

weliveinsomeoneelsesspaceweagreetofollowtheirlawsItisim

portanttoacknowledgeourownpersonalrelationshiptolandwhich

maychangeovertimeandIamgratefulforhowthathasbeendonea

numberoftimesatthisSpecialLectureseriesItisalsoimportantforme

totellyouwhoIamasbestasIcanandlikemyrelationshiptoland

myrelationshipscontinuetoevolveovertime

Myfatheralongwithhissiblingswasplacedinfostercarewhen

theywereallveryyoungTheywerefurtherseparatedandadoptedinto

nonIndigenous families who lived in dierent cities My father was

raisedinLondonOntariowhereIwassubsequentlybornHisadoption

 AssistantProfessorFacultyofLawUniversityofWindsor

Indigenous Peoples, Art, Law, and Canada at 150 

likemanyissealedOneoftheTruthandReconciliationCommission

of CanadasTRC Calls to Action is to allow access to these records

ItmakesitdicultoftenpainfulandveryembarrassingthatwhileI

knowfromgovernmentagentsthatIamCreeIstilldonotknowwhich

speciccommunityIamfromIamnotaloneinthisThereremainsa

colonial economyi n keeping some of us from knowing Nonetheless

sinceIwasmuchyoungerCreeteachershavespenttimesharingCree

culturewithmeTheyhavecaredformeItellyouallofthisbecauseit

ispartofCreeprotocoltoexplainwhoIamandwhereIamfromsothat

youmaydecidehowyouwanttorelatetomeornotIamnotuentin

nehiyawinmylanguagethoughitissomethingIamworkingonLike

culturelawsfamilyandhomelanguagewasalsotakenaspartofthe

ongoingprocessofcolonizationColonizationisnotathingofthepastIt

stillliveswithinmewithinmyfamilywithinmanyfamiliesThatsaid

IamverygratefulformyCreeAnishinaabeandmanyotherteachers

IcontinuetobehumbledbytheirknowledgeThoughIamspeakingto

youtodayIalsoacknowledgethatIknowverylile

PartofthelawsoftheAnishinaabewhichIamgoingtotalkalile

bitabouttodayrequirespeopletogetupearlyeverymorningbefore

sunrisebecauseceremonymaersCeremonyisoneofthesourcesof

CreeandAnishinaabelawTherearepeopleinAnishinaabeterritory

including in the city of Toronto whoconti nue toawake in da rkness

everydaymakeoeringsofthanksgivingandsingasthesunrisesin

theskysothattherestofusmaygoaboutlivingthelivesthatwedoI

expressmygratitudeforthoseAnishinaabewomenandmenwhowork

sohardforusthroughceremonyeverysingledayinthiscity

IamgoingtotalktoyoualilebitaboutaquestionthatIaskrst

yearstudentsinconstitutionallawWhatislawClearlythestudents

hadanideaortheywouldnothavetakenthetroubletoapplyforlaw

schoolTodayIexaminethisquestionalongwithtwoothersWhatis

artHowmightartinformlawIconsidertheseinquiriesforavarietyof

reasonsthoughtheonethatIwilltalktoyouabouttodayaddressesan

underlyingcollectivecompulsionMyhopeisthatinnamingitwecan

allworktochangeitWehaveacompulsiontocategorizeeverything

I spent some time this past sum mer doingr esearch at the British

MuseuminLondonwiththeassistanceofafewverygenerouscurators

there Though my workat the museu m is not donewhile v isiting I

learnedthatamongthemuseumsobjectiveswasamandatetogoout

andnameeverythingintheworldasthougheverythingintheworld

didnotalreadyhaveitsownnameinitsownlanguageuntiltheBritish

MuseumarrivedtoproclaimandnameitYetthereIampeeringinto