The Lnuwey Dêbludaqan Wiguom (Mìgmaq Law Lodge) is a research and training unit that supports and assists Indigenous communities in the region in the revitalization of their laws and governance. A “wiguom” refers to a wigwam — the style of shelter traditionally used by the Lnùg (the Mìgmaq people). Wiguoml (the plural of Wiguom) could be easily disassembled and reassembled at different locations to support the seasonal land-use patterns of the Mi’kmaq. While the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University will be one home for the revitalization work, we by no means intend it as the only home. We encourage and support the development of Lnuwey Dêbludaqan Wiguom or related complementary units, and engagement in law and governance revitalization projects, within other universities, Indigenous communities and organizations in Atlantic Canada.

Key Activities

Answering TRC Call to Action 50, and bringing a regional focus to established practice models, the Wiguom will be an impact oriented forum for recovering knowledge and developing strategies to support Indigenous communities as they exercise their right to self determination. Specifically, the Wiguom will:

1. Identify and undertake revitalization projects in partnership with Indigenous communities and organizations in the areas of Indigenous law, governance and Indigenomics.

2. Identify, gather and make accessible the various resources that can be harnessed to revitalize Indigenous laws (e.g., stories, language, place names, etc).

3. Promote wise practices and effective methodologies in the revitalization and implementation of Indigenous law, governance and Indigenomics.

4. Provide teaching and training on revitalization and implementation to Indigenous organizations and community members, the legal profession, government and business leaders, students and the general public.

5. Establish and maintain a body of practical public educational resources to support Indigenous governments and organizations in achieving their objectives and to assist Canadian governments, businesses and the general public as they seek to understand better and incorporate Indigenous perspectives.

6. Amplify the diverse perspectives within Indigenous communities, particularly those of women, 2SLGBTQQIA people, elders and youth.

New Projects & Initiatives

Gluskabewimklooscap (Glooscap Project)

Gluskabewimklooscap (Glooscap Project) uses Indigenous law revitalization methodologies to analyze and discuss stories involving Glooscap. This analysis considers the fundamental processes, values, principles, and rules that these stories convey and determines how they can be applied to Mi’kmaq law, governance and policy today. To learn more about the Glooscap Project, click here.

Natawitplutaqatiek

The Natawitplutaqatiek is an ongoing research project, headed by Kristan Belanger, aimed at the development of an Indigenous Law Library. The goal of this project is to identify, gather, and make accessible various sources of Mi’kmaw law to empower Mi’kmaw communities, practitioners, and researchers as they examine their legal traditions and develop comprehensive self-government and sustainable economic practices. To learn more about the Natawitplutaqatiek, click here:

Indigenous and Aboriginal Citation Guide

As Aboriginal Law and Indigenous Law gain greater attention and prominence in legal scholarship and jurisprudence, it is crucial to ensure flexible yet consistent citation standards that reflect the diversity of Canada’s indigenous nations and territories.

Kate Anderson developed the following Indigenous and Aboriginal Citation Guide during her time at Schulich.

This citation guide is an evolving project which provides explanations and examples for citing oral transmissions published in monographs, oral traditions, physical objects, and indigenous languages. It is an essential resource for lawyers, students, and academics referencing Indigenous Laws and legal materials, allowing for nuance and the importance of people, identities, and territories in Indigenous knowledge transmission to be observed.

To access this Citation Guide, click here:

Indigenous and Aboriginal Style Guide

Kelti McGloin’s Best Practices for Writing About Indigenous Peoples in the Canadian Legal Context: An Evolving Style Guide for the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University is a useful resource for understanding the history of terminology used to refer to Indigenous Peoples, current practices in writing about and for Indigenous Peoples, and some reasoning underlying these practices in accordance with emerging conventions in the fields of Aboriginal and Indigenous law and legal publishing.

By consulting and synthesizing various existing resources, this guide presents a more cohesive set of guidelines relevant to the Canadian legal context. As the guide was authored in Mi’kma’ki primarily for the use of law students at Dalhousie, particular attention is paid to terminology regarding the Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqewiyik Peoples who have inhabited the Atlantic region since time immemorial.

To access this Indigenous and Aboriginal Style Guide, click here:

Resources

To read our 2022-2023 Interim Report on our work to build the Wiguom, click here.

To read our 2023-2024 Interim Report on Outreach Initiatives for the Lnuwey Tplutaqan Wikuom, click here.

To find out more about the Wiguom, provide questions or comments, please contact wikuom@dal.ca or visit us on Facebook.

To learn more about the design of our logo, click here.

To donate to the Wiguom, visit giving.dal.ca/wikuom or click here.

Header image courtesy of the Nova Scotia Archives.