ULTRAVIRES.CA
October 27, 2022
VOL. 24 ISS. 2
Ultra Vires
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO FACULTY OF LAW
Indigenous Law Intensive Course Marks Its Return
“You Could Not Help Being in Awe of Her”
Participants reflect on their experiences learning Indigenous law on the territory of the Chippewas of Rama Mnjikaning First Nation NATASHA BURMAN (3L)
The law community mourns the loss of Professor Karen Knop who tragically passed away on September 26, 2022 HARRY MYLES (3L)
STUDENTS CANOE ON LAKE COUCHICHING DURING THE INDIGENOUS LAW IN CONTEXT: INTENSIVE COURSE. CREDIT: JULIE ANN SHEPARD
In 2016, U of T Law introduced the Indigenous Law in Context program, a three-night intensive course designed to teach upper-year law students Indigenous law and legal traditions from a land-based perspective. Student participants in the program have the opportunity to receive teachings from elders and other members of the community, while being immersed in traditional practices. After U of T Law paused the program during the pandemic, it returned this year and included joint activities with Osgoode Hall Law School students. Led by U of T Law Professor John Borrows, the program took place on the territory of the Chippewas of Rama Mnjikaning First Nation, outside Orillia, Ontario. The program ran for four days and three nights from September 29 to October 2. Students camped as a group on the First Nation’s lands throughout the program.
To participate in the Indigenous Law in Context program, students were required to show a demonstrated and specific interest in learning about Indigenous law and legal traditions. Ultra Vires asked participants the following question: what is one thing that will stick with you from your experience over the fourday intensive? Below are their thoughts. Troy Klassen (3L): “It's hard to choose just one thing. I consider the whole weekend to be one of the most enriching and formative experiences of my time in law school. In those four days, I was exposed to a vision of law beyond the assumptions of Western European traditions. I was introduced to law as an action done with others, focused on the relations between me and other beings (human or otherwise), not as self-interested in-
dividuals, but as parts of a whole. It was more than an academic exercise. It was, dare I say, a spiritual experience, one that I hope will inform the way I practice law for years to come.” Jasman Gill (3L): “The Indigenous Law in Context intensive was an incredible experience! We were able to take part in various cultural practices of Indigenous people throughout the weekend. The events required us to be open, personable, and even vulnerable with one another. As a result, I was reminded about the importance of learning from my peers and the value of having a strong community. My personal favourite was the Sweat Lodge ceremony, a purification rite that leaves you in a tranquil state of balance.”
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Professor Karen Knop passed away on September 26, 2022 to the shock and immense sadness of students, Faculty members, and the greater law community. Prof. Knop held the Faculty’s Cecil A. Wright Chair and taught international law. She was unique for her character and scholarship and left behind a vast network of people deeply saddened by her loss. Prof. Knop was born in 1960 in Halifax and earned a BSc and LLB from Dalhousie University in 1982 and 1986 respectively. She received an LLM from Columbia University in 1990 and an SJD from the University of Toronto in 1990. She subsequently joined the Faculty that year as a special lecturer and became a fulltime faculty member in 1992. Prof. Knop had an impressive repertoire of scholastic achievements. She spearheaded a feminist approach to international law and was globally recognized as a renowned public international law scholar. Most recently, Prof. Knop taught a course at The Hague Academy of International Law in early 2020, attended the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies as the Aatos Erkko Visiting Professor in Studies on Contemporary Society in 2020 –21, and she was named one of the inaugural Max Planck Law Fellows in 2022, the highest honour awarded by the Max Planck Law network to scholars outside of the German Max Planck Society. While writing this article, I reached out to the law school community for comments about Prof. Knop that could contextualize who she was as a person beyond her academic successes. Every person I spoke to directed me to yet another individual that Prof. Knop mentored or befriended. Uncannily, people often repeated the same sentiments: Prof. Knop was a kind, generous spirit with a compassionate demeanour; and above all else, she was an irreplaceable friend. As an academic, Professor Knop was one of the most collegial people Professor Phillips ever met. The two f irst became acquainted at Dalhousie University when they were both studying law. Having known Prof. Knop for many years, Professor Phillips emphasized her keen interest in other people and humility. Despite being immensely accomplished, Prof.
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