Aboriginal Community Advocacy - Accelerated Courses

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the complex and evolving relationship between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian state from contact to present day. It will explore the different worldviews at contact, the years of cooperation and negotiation through the fur trade and treaty making era, and the impact of government colonial policy on Indigenous nations. The course will also explore the constitutional recognition of Aboriginal rights, which provides an important context for understanding contemporary issues between Indigenous and Canadian societies including land claims, treaties, and self-government.

This course offers a comprehensive exploration and critical analysis of the government systems in Canada and among Indigenous peoples within its borders. Canada is home to a rich tapestry of Indigenous nations, each with its own unique governance structures, legal systems, and political traditions. This course delves into the historical, political, and socio-cultural factors that shape these diverse systems, aiming to foster a nuanced understanding of governance in a pluralistic society.

This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of the legal framework governing Indigenous rights and relationships in Canada. This foundational course is designed to lay the groundwork for a deeper understanding of Indigenous legal issues. It covers historical, constitutional, and contemporary aspects of Canadian Aboriginal law, enabling students to appreciate the complexity and significance of Indigenous rights within the Canadian legal system.

This course explores community development issues and the related impact of development on Indigenous communities throughout Canada. Students will gain practical skills in community consultation, community-based research and strategic planning, proposal writing and analysis of best practices in community development and applied research. This course will also prepare students to understand the ethical issues and dilemmas regarding research and Indigenous communities. With this knowledge, students will be well-positioned to carry out a community project in LV390.

This is an introductory course providing students to explore options in interest based conflict resolution, including mediation and negotiation. It will focus on developing a practical skill base for students in alternative dispute resolution related to Aboriginal communities. Delivered through experiential learning, students will practice important interpersonal and communication skills which can be applied to a variety of settings. The various applications of mediation and negotiation in Aboriginal communities will be highlighted throughout this course.

This course examines Indigenous peoples relationship to land as it relates to environmental issues and resource use, with particular emphasis to Northwestern Ontario. An understanding of past, present and future roles of Indigenous people in land management presents an opportunity to explore options and alternatives for sustainable development in the North consistent with Indigenous principles of stewardship and land use. In addition, the course will examine how communities are using Indigenous knowledge(s) to develop sustainable options for land use in keeping with community values. Case studies, best practices, issues and legislation will be examined to provide students with the ability to inform decision making regarding community, land, resource use options and alternatives.

This course will survey the history of Indigenous women in Canada, including an examination of issues which impact the lives of Indigenous peoples. Traditional and contemporary roles of women will be discussed, with specific reference to the contributions of Indigenous women to social movements and changes to Canadian law(s), including the Canada Act 1982. The perspectives of Indigenous women will be provided to highlight contemporary issues facing women and communities.

This introductory course examines the re-claiming of traditional and restorative justice by Indigenous communities. It will critique the history and impact of the mainstream adversarial system on Indigenous peoples and will use case studies to highlight the ways that Indigenous communities and Canadian society are implementing justice alternatives which are based on traditional and restorative models. Emphasis will be on the development of skills which can be used to implement restorative justice in a variety of settings.

This course will prepare students for the responsibilities of community-based advocacy work. It will examine the history and use of a variety of approaches to advocacy. It will focus on Indigenous perspectives, community-based action, and examples of Indigenous-led action to address social change, rights and environmental concerns of their communities. By analyzing the techniques and impact of various movements, students will begin to identify and apply the various skills of advocacy to workshop settings. Emphasis will be placed on learning ethical, professional responsibilities of advocacy and representation. Self-evaluation, team building, and personal development will be examined as well as techniques and strategies of advocating for positive change on behalf of individuals and communities.

This course prepares students to understand the ethical issues and dilemmas in regards to research and Indigenous nations, communities and peoples. Students will develop research techniques that are applicable when doing research with and for Indigenous communities. Students will also understand the political, social and legal documents to assist in their research approach. Writing skills will emphasis reasoned argument based on critical thinking. Analysis of research reports in a variety of fields will be the focus.

This course will encourage students to fully explore the worldviews advanced by various Indigenous Peoples around the world with particular emphasis on traditional ecological knowledge. It will examine how traditional ecological knowledge is being used by communities to document and inform historic, cultural and land use traditions. By examining research protocols for working with traditional knowledge, students will gain an understanding of the complexities of Indigenous world view and how it informs decision making in communities. Students will use this ethical framework as a foundation for working with Aboriginal peoples and communities.

Aboriginal and Treaty rights, including Aboriginal title, is a specialized area of law in Canada. This course will look at how Aboriginal and Treaty rights are addressed in Canadian common law. Students will gain a general understanding of the laws in Canada as they apply to Aboriginal and Treaty rights, as well as various legal processes. Students will engage in a critical evaluation of the jurisprudence pertaining to Aboriginal and Treaty rights and its underlying tenets, such as the assumption of Crown sovereignty. This course also considers international law pertaining to Indigenous issues, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Practical application of advocacy and public education skills form the basis for this course. Students will work together as a team to envision, plan and carryout a development project based on research conducted in LV213. The project should involve community organizing, participation, outreach and evaluation. The project will have a connection to social justice or raising public awareness of issues discussed in the program. The project will be community based and will require partnership with organizations and allies both within the College and in the Thunder Bay community. Students will have the opportunity to apply their classroom learning in an experiential manner.