New video series fills gap in Canadian legal education system with resources on Indigenous law

University of Victoria Indigenous Law Research Unit heads project with funding from the .CA Community Investment Program

VICTORIA, BC, Feb. 1, 2016 /CNW/ - A new Indigenous law video series seeks to foster an understanding of how Indigenous legal principles may be accessed and applied today.  

Researchers at the University of Victoria's Indigenous Law Research Unit (ILRU) produced the videos, which are available on-demand on its website and YouTube channel. The comprehensive online video series documents Indigenous legal traditions through the reflections of scholars, community leaders, students, and activists working in the area of Indigenous law and living in Coast and Straits Salish territories.

Director and editor Kamala Todd reflected, "These videos highlight the deeply-rooted Indigenous laws of this land. They offer a way to create dialogue and understanding about how Indigenous legal traditions operate, and how they can help all Canadians to live better with each other and all our relations. I believe that the revitalization of Indigenous laws will be the key to restoring balance and equality across this land, and securing a healthy vibrant future for all."

Key facts

• The videos include, and were created by, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in collaboration and conversation. The series hopes to foster respectful discussion and education in the area of Indigenous law and Indigenous-settler relations. It provides introductions to important topics in the area of Indigenous law and the three main videos include: 1) Indigenous Law: an introduction; 2) Indigenous law, gender, and sexuality; and 3) Indigenous law: tough questions. Videos creatively weave together imagery and sound. They range from five to 10 minutes long but are accompanied by longer full interviews, a lecture and a discussion guide.
• The videos are available for free online on the ILRU's website and the YouTube channel. 
• The videos were created for ILRU by Kamala Todd, director and editor at Indigenous City Media; Emily Snyder, project lead and producer; and Renée McBeth, associate producer. The project is funded by the .CA Community Investment Program.
• The video series was launched at a screening event on Thursday, January 21 in the First Peoples House at the University of Victoria with members of the Indigenous and academic community.

Additional resources

• The Indigenous Law Video On-Demand project is available for free on the ILRU's website and the YouTube channel. 
• The .CA Community Investment Program has committed $1 million in new funding for 2016. Organizations working on projects to build a better online Canada, like this work from ILRU, should consider applying for funding at cira.ca/cip. The application period is open until March 4.

About the Indigenous Law Research Unit
ILRU is housed in the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria and partners with communities in order to rigorously and critically investigate research questions pertaining to Indigenous legal orders.

About .CA and the Community Investment Program
Through the Community Investment Program, .CA funds projects that demonstrate the capacity to build a better online Canada. The .CA team manages Canada's country code top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. A Member-based organization, .CA represents the interests of Canada's Internet community internationally.

SOURCE Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)

or interview requests, contact: Ryan Saxby Hill, communications manager for .CA, 613-237-5335 ext. 285, [email protected]; Sally Hunter, Indigenous Law Research Unit coordinator, 250-721-8914, [email protected]