Western Law to host unique aboriginal moot

Students from 17 law schools across Canada will celebrate Indigenous legal traditions, laws and customs at the 2013 Kawaskimhon Talking Circle Moot hosted by the Faculty of Law at Western University on March 1-3.

This Kawaskimhon Moot provides law students a forum to reconcile indigenous and non-indigenous legal orders and values as they relate to a pressing contemporary issue for Aboriginal peoples.“The Moot is non-competitive and based on current issues in indigenous-government relations,” says Western Law professor Michael Coyle, the Moot’s coordinator. “Kawaskimhon means ‘speaking with knowledge’ and we look forward to hosting the moot and continuing the unique Kawaskimhon traditions.”This year’s moot problem will focus on a proposal that legislation be enacted under which individual First Nations would be able to adopt a lands regime that would include fee simple ownership on reserves.

Elders Dan Smoke (Traditional Teacher, Seneca Nation, Iroquois Confederacy) and Mary Lou Smoke (Traditional Teacher, Ojibway Nation) will lead the opening ceremony and prayers. Justice Jonathon C. George, (Ontario Court of Justice and Member of the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation), Stephen J. Augustine (hereditary Mi’kmaw chief of the Signigtog region and Principal, Unama’ki College of Cape Breton University) and Lawyer Kathleen Lickers (Seneca, Six Nations of the Grand River) will serve as facilitators.

Media are welcome to attend the opening ceremony (Friday, March 1 at 2 pm) and closing ceremony (Sunday, March 3 at 1pm), both held in the Faculty of Law.
For more information please visit the 2013 Kawaskimhon Law Moot website at https://www.law.uwo.ca/conferences/kawaskimhon_moot_2013/index.html

MEDIA CONTACT: Susanna Eayrs, Communications Officer, ?519-661-2126 seayrs@uwo.ca