When we think about the re-invigoration of Indigenous justice practices, we often think of First Nations or remote communities where traditions and connections to the land have always existed and where knowledge keepers are ready to share their wisdom when they are asked. It must be acknowledged however, that more and more Indigenous people live in urban areas, and so when we think about Indigenous justice practices, it must include those living in cities as well.
Thanks to funding from the federal government’s Department of Justice, Aboriginal Legal Services has embarked on a project to develop an indigenous justice strategy for Toronto. There are obviously challenges when thinking about a justice strategy for a city that is home to Indigenous people from across Canada representing many different nations and traditions. For some Indigenous people, Toronto may be where they live for much of the year, but home is hundreds or thousands of kilometres away. For others however, Toronto has been home to generations and will be home to generations in the future.
Developing an Indigenous justice strategy in such a diverse city is challenging but not impossible – indeed it is essential in order to represent the realities of Indigenous people today. Toronto – Tkaronto in Mohawk – has always been a place where people from many Indigenous nations met and gathered and that meant that practices had to develop over time to allow them to interact in a good way.
This work on the development of the strategy is being led by Silent Drum, a firm led by former Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Ovide Mercredi. The first community meeting to discuss the strategy took place in May and our second and final meeting took place on Wednesday, October 4, at the Evergreen Brickworks.
We know that the development of a comprehensive Indigenous justice strategy will take more than two meetings over the course of a year. This process, however, has the chance to set the stage for further gatherings and for more progress on this vital issue. This is not a project that can be the sole responsibility of one organization. Ultimately, the Toronto community will need to determine how to move this initiative forward. We are very pleased that Aboriginal Legal Services can play a role in getting this important endeavor started and we plan to remain involved in the process as it develops.
Jonathan Rudin
Special Project Director