final draft PS
Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 2:15 am
Drin hozo, shorze ¬¬____________, ______ trat. Good day, I am (name) more specifically, I am of the People of the River who live at the place of the Hammer Stones - the mouth of the _____ - near ________. I am of the Crow (or Raven) Clan. Under traditional law, I am expected to introduce myself to others in this manner, which represents my family, my clan and my community.
From an early age I was drawn to my traditional culture. I had a passion for the songs, dances and stories that tell us who we are, and also a love for the law, but I did not at first make a connection between the law and our culture. As I grew older, and my nation settled its land claims agreement, I was attracted to the ideals of traditional leadership. I have always held the view that governance under a Chief and Council system put in place by the Indian Act, does not reflect a truly First Nations form of self-government. It was not until my Elder,_____, sat me down to explain why a lawyer must understand our traditional values that the importance of connecting traditional knowledge and law became clear to me. He said that too many lawyers were educated only in Common Law and had no knowledge of our traditional laws and therefore, could not truly understand what we were working towards - the restoration of our customary laws.
As a high school student, I was appointed as the youngest member of a committee tasked with rewriting _______Constitution, and this experience played an important role in developing my now long-held interest in the law. Our community needs the healing that will come from a restoration of traditional ways, and Canadian Law needs these traditional laws to conform to Common Law. Prior to contact with European culture, the Han Hwëch'in lived in balance with all living things and had a true understanding of who they were; today we are slowly reconnecting with that worldview to restore this harmony. The responsibility to restore this balance did not fall solely on any one individual, but included that person’s family, clan and nation, and thus was tied to restoration rather than retribution.
Here in the ______, the Carcross Tagish First Nation has pioneered the restoration of traditional laws. An example is their new Family Act which includes Tlingit traditional stories; Dr.John Burrows, one of the foremost scholars of Aboriginal Law, argues that these types of stories must be understood as equal to common law and must define the relationship of the family, clan and community. In reviewing this legislation and studying the writings of Dr. Burrows, it became clear to me that we can readily integrate our law into the western context.
Thank You for any comments rip apart if need be
Since returning to my community from my undergraduate education at the University of British Columbia , I have spearheaded a ______-wide Elders Summit to record traditional knowledge before it is lost, and begun a project to record Elders’ stories of the law so that when the time is right these stories can be integrated into a new, holistic system of justice. Engagement with elders is key not only for the information of how matters were traditionally conducted but also for their stories. Further, through our dance group, we are continuing the hard work of revitalizing our songs and dances. These songs, like the stories, reflect the worldview and, therefore, the greater laws governing the ________.
The decision to attend law school has not been an easy one. After much soul searching, I have come to the realization that restoring our cultural values within the context of modern treaties is of paramount importance. In order to do this and ensure the core values of our nation are maintained, we need citizens who are both learned in their culture and have a deep understanding of both systems of law – people who are equally comfortable speaking with elders, judges and bureaucrats. From conversation with my Elders, I gained insight into the path my legal education and career must take. I believe I must study law to become one of the people to integrate the two systems and further our intercultural relationships. We will restore our interconnection with one another and be a strong and proud nation once again.
From an early age I was drawn to my traditional culture. I had a passion for the songs, dances and stories that tell us who we are, and also a love for the law, but I did not at first make a connection between the law and our culture. As I grew older, and my nation settled its land claims agreement, I was attracted to the ideals of traditional leadership. I have always held the view that governance under a Chief and Council system put in place by the Indian Act, does not reflect a truly First Nations form of self-government. It was not until my Elder,_____, sat me down to explain why a lawyer must understand our traditional values that the importance of connecting traditional knowledge and law became clear to me. He said that too many lawyers were educated only in Common Law and had no knowledge of our traditional laws and therefore, could not truly understand what we were working towards - the restoration of our customary laws.
As a high school student, I was appointed as the youngest member of a committee tasked with rewriting _______Constitution, and this experience played an important role in developing my now long-held interest in the law. Our community needs the healing that will come from a restoration of traditional ways, and Canadian Law needs these traditional laws to conform to Common Law. Prior to contact with European culture, the Han Hwëch'in lived in balance with all living things and had a true understanding of who they were; today we are slowly reconnecting with that worldview to restore this harmony. The responsibility to restore this balance did not fall solely on any one individual, but included that person’s family, clan and nation, and thus was tied to restoration rather than retribution.
Here in the ______, the Carcross Tagish First Nation has pioneered the restoration of traditional laws. An example is their new Family Act which includes Tlingit traditional stories; Dr.John Burrows, one of the foremost scholars of Aboriginal Law, argues that these types of stories must be understood as equal to common law and must define the relationship of the family, clan and community. In reviewing this legislation and studying the writings of Dr. Burrows, it became clear to me that we can readily integrate our law into the western context.
Thank You for any comments rip apart if need be
Since returning to my community from my undergraduate education at the University of British Columbia , I have spearheaded a ______-wide Elders Summit to record traditional knowledge before it is lost, and begun a project to record Elders’ stories of the law so that when the time is right these stories can be integrated into a new, holistic system of justice. Engagement with elders is key not only for the information of how matters were traditionally conducted but also for their stories. Further, through our dance group, we are continuing the hard work of revitalizing our songs and dances. These songs, like the stories, reflect the worldview and, therefore, the greater laws governing the ________.
The decision to attend law school has not been an easy one. After much soul searching, I have come to the realization that restoring our cultural values within the context of modern treaties is of paramount importance. In order to do this and ensure the core values of our nation are maintained, we need citizens who are both learned in their culture and have a deep understanding of both systems of law – people who are equally comfortable speaking with elders, judges and bureaucrats. From conversation with my Elders, I gained insight into the path my legal education and career must take. I believe I must study law to become one of the people to integrate the two systems and further our intercultural relationships. We will restore our interconnection with one another and be a strong and proud nation once again.