Indigenous Peoples, Art, Law, and Canada at 150

AuthorJeffery Hewitt
Pages202-217

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

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