The Journey
Indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world have always governed ourselves through our own laws and legal orders, with relentless efforts throughout the generations to maintain our legal orders.
The Next Steps initiative evolved from the dedicated work of scholars, both Indigenous and allies, to revitalize and rebuild Indigenous legal orders across Canada and beyond. With the full support of the University of Victoria, each one of the following milestones has significantly shifted the Indigenous legal landscape to create and facilitate new ways of understanding, researching and engaging with Indigenous law.
The establishment of the world-renowned Indigenous Law Research Unit (ILRU) at the University of Victoria redefined how Indigenous law is researched, re-articulated and restated.
Val Napoleon and Hadley Friedland co-founded ILRU and the Narrative Analysis methodology. This story-based methodology is collaborative, transparent, and intellectually rigorous.
In 2018, in a push for greater recognition and application of Indigenous law by professional, academic, and Indigenous communities, the University of Victoria established the joint Canadian Common Law and Indigenous Law degree program (JD/JID), the first law program in the world to combine the study of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous laws.
In 2025, the University of Victoria Faculty of Law opened the new Coast Salish-inspired Indigenous Law wing. A new home for Indigenous legal resurgence at the University of Victoria, the space is designed to welcome, gather, learn and share Indigenous legal knowledge and traditions.
Each of these developments signify milestones toward revitalizing Indigenous legal orders. However, the work of critically engaging with Indigenous laws as law is not yet finished.
Next Steps is the critical next phase. It expands the scale of revitalization by holistically rebuilding entire Indigenous legal systems, inclusive of all areas of law, and connecting rigorous legal research methods with Indigenous partner-led practice.
Connect With Us
We welcome inquiries, collaborations, and conversations from communities, researchers, students, and organizations interested in Indigenous legal revitalization.