Indigenous Governance 2024
February 26, 2024 at 9:00AM PST
Downtown Vancouver and Live Webinar
Indigenous Governance 2024
February 26, 2024
Overview
Indigenous Nations are increasingly reclaiming their own models and forms of self-government and self-determination. This critical progression has the power to rebuild the social and economic well-being of Indigenous peoples, revitalize the internal operations of Indigenous Nations, and renew relationships with other nations, governments and external stakeholders.
This 1 day program brings together representatives from First Nations and leaders in the field of Aboriginal and Indigenous law for a comprehensive discussion of Indigenous governance, both generally and in certain key sectors, including land stewardship, health, child and family services, and economic development. Our diverse and well-informed faculty will provide attendees with a deep understanding of key issues in this dynamic area.
A welcome reception hosted by Cochrane Saxberg LLP will follow at the Bill Reid Gallery
Key Areas Addressed:
Models and pathways for self-government, including the recent innovative Whitecap Dakota Self-Government Treaty
Perspectives from self-governing Nations and negotiating Nations
Land stewardship
Health governance
Child and family services and the implications of Bill C-92
Economic development
Recent changes to federal policy
Who Should Attend:
Aboriginal leaders, officials, councillors, elders, negotiators, administrators, and advisors
Lawyers practising in the areas of Aboriginal law, administrative law, and business law
Owners, managers and representatives of resource development companies and companies operating on Crown land
Federal, provincial and municipal government officials and policy advisors
Consultants, accountants, financial planners, and others assisting First Nations with financial matters and business operations
Agenda
9:00 - Welcome by PBLI
9:05 - Welcome to Vancouver: Leah George-Wilson (Sisi-ya-ama Tsiyalia)
9:10 - Chairs’ Welcome and Introduction
Sonny Cochrane, KC
Cochrane Saxberg LLP
Max Faille
Cochrane Saxberg LLP
9:15 - Keynote Address
The Honourable Murray Sinclair, LLB, MSC, IPC
Former member of the Canadian Senate/ Cochrane Saxberg LLP
The role of self-government in reconciliation & Indigenous revitalization
10:00 - Questions and Discussion
10:10 - Featured Speaker
Chief Darcy Bear
Whitecap Dakota First Nation
Our path to recognition and rights-based self-government
11:05 - Questions and Discussion
11:15 - Refreshment Break
11:25 -Indigenous Self-Government: Pathway Out from the Indian Act
Max Faille
Cochrane Saxberg LLP
Hegus John Hackett
Tla’amin Nation
Grand Chief Peter Johnston
Council of Yukon First Nations
Current perspectives on the self-government process
12:15 - Questions and Discussion
12:25 - Lunch Break
1:30 -Land Stewardship and Governance
Chief Douglas Neasloss
Kitasoo/Xaixais Nation Council
Leah George-Wilson
Miller Titerle + Company
Megan Young
Clark Wilson LLP
Conservation and management initiatives
Development applications processes
2:20 - Questions and Discussion
2:30 - Refreshment Break
2:45 - Indigenous Child and Family Services Governance: Getting our Children Back
Aaron Christoff
Cochrane Saxberg LLP
Sonny Cochrane, KC
Cochrane Saxberg LLP
The Bill C-92 Reference
C-92 Implementation
Implications of the newly-released landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision, Reference re An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children, youth and families, 2024 SCC 5
4:15 - Questions and Discussion
4:35 - Chairs’ Closing Remarks
4:45 -Forum Concludes
6:00 - Cochrane Saxberg LLP Welcome Reception at Bill Reid Gallery
Meet the Co-Chairs
-
Partner, Cochrane Saxberg LLP, Winnipeg, MB
Mr. Cochrane was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1996. He is a Cree lawyer who grew up on Fisher River Cree Nation and has deep connections to the Indigenous community. He is the first Cree lawyer appointed Queen’s counsel in Manitoba. He is a founding member of Cochrane Saxberg LLP, Manitoba’s largest Indigenous law firm. He practices in the areas of Indigenous law, business law, employment law, and child protection law. Mr. Cochrane has been involved with professional associations including past board member of the United Way Winnipeg, past member of the United Way of Winnipeg’s Aboriginal Relations Council and past board member of the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce. He is a regular presenter at the Law Society and to various organizations on Indigenous law issues. Mr. Cochrane is regularly retained by Metis and First Nation governments for business development initiatives, land claim settlements, child welfare issues and self government/jurisdictional matters. His advice is also sought on matters related to the treaties and Canada’s constitutional framework in relation to Indigenous people.
-
Partner, Cochrane Saxberg LLP, Vancouver, BC
Max Faille is a partner in the Vancouver office of Cochrane Saxberg LLP, where he practises Indigenous law and constitutional litigation. Prior to joining Cochrane Saxberg LLP, Max practiced Indigenous and constitutional law in Ottawa and Vancouver at a major Canadian law firm for 25 years, where he acted as National Leader for Aboriginal Law for almost a decade. Since 2021, he has been Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of British Columbia Peter A. Allard School of Law, where he teaches First Nation Taxation. Max represents leading Indigenous governments, political and social organizations, businesses, entrepreneurs, and professional athletes on matters of Aboriginal and treaty rights, First Nation taxation, self-government, governance and Indigenous economic development. He also has represented several provincial and territorial governments and legislative bodies (including the Canadian Senate), as well as private businesses, in constitutional litigation matters. His appellate advocacy includes regular appearances before the superior courts and the Courts of Appeal across Canada, as well as in the Supreme Court of Canada. He was counsel to the Assembly of First Nations in the landmark Bastien case, the current leading case in regard to First Nation taxation. He was legal advisor to the Whitecap Dakota Nation in its negotiation of the landmark Whitecap Dakota Self-Government Treaty that came into effect on September 1, 2023 — the first stand-alone, treaty-protected self-government agreement in Canada.
Meet the Faculty
-
Whitecap Dakota First Nation, Whitecap, SK
Chief Darcy Bear has dedicated himself to the betterment of his community and nation since being elected to Council in 1991 at the age of 23. In 1993, Darcy was elected as Chief of Whitecap, and is currently serving his 27th year as Chief of WDFN. As Whitecap’s leader, Chief Bear has always maintained a focus on community development, and has worked to bring greater fiscal accountability, transparency and good governance to the community. He has been widely recognized for his economic, business and community development achievements and has received numerous awards to recognize these accomplishments.
-
Partner, Cochrane Saxberg LLP, Vancouver, BC
Aaron Christoff is an Indigenous law and litigation partner in Cochrane Saxberg LLP’s Vancouver office. Prior to joining Cochrane Saxberg, Aaron practised as part the Vancouver Indigenous law group of a major international law firm for several years. Aaron regularly advises and represents First Nation governments on matters of Aboriginal and Treaty rights, specific claims against the Crown, self-government, elections, and other governance matters. He also works with Nations to develop and draft policy and legislation, such as custom election codes and child and family services laws under C-92. In his advocacy practice, Aaron frequently represents Indigenous clients in legal proceedings, including class actions, judicial reviews, and specific claims. He has also represented corporate clients in diverse sectors, including tax and telecommunications. Aaron has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, Supreme Court of British Columbia, Alberta Court of King’s Bench, Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench, Nunavut Court of Justice, Federal Court of Canada, and various administrative tribunals. Aaron is honoured to have recently advised the Whitecap Dakota Nation on the negotiation of its landmark Whitecap Dakota Self-Government Treaty, which came into effect on September 1, 2023 — the first stand-alone, treaty-protected self-government agreement in Canada and the first self-government agreement in Saskatchewan. Aaron is a Nehiyaw (Cree) citizen of Saulteau First Nations in north-eastern British Columbia (Treaty 8), and has lived, worked, and studied across Canada.
-
Lawyer, Miller Titerle + Company, Vancouver, BC
Leah is a well-known and respected Indigenous leader and lawyer. She was elected Chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation for four terms, becoming the first woman to serve in this position. Leah is currently an elected co-chair of the First Nations Summit and a director on the Land Advisory Board. She has also served as a director of the First Nations Health Council and the Four Host First Nations. As a past board member of the Four Host Nations, she was a key voice in ensuring the appropriate representation of Indigenous Peoples in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Leah has a deep understanding of Indigenous governance, Indigenous legal orders, community engagement, reconciliation, and government-to-government work. An exceptional communicator, Leah has negotiated on behalf of her own community at the federal and provincial levels. She has built many strong relationships at all levels of government, which is an asset for clients seeking an experienced, representative voice for their interests. Leah’s client work includes negotiating on behalf of the Taku River Tlingit for their right of first refusal to an Atlin Health Centre. She also helped Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) participate in the Canadian Delegation to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) by connecting the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and TWN. The AFN appointed TWN as its representative; Leah’s comments and contribution on their behalf appear in the IPCC reports. Leah’s ancestral names are Sisi-ya-ama Tsiyalia.
-
Council of Yukon First Nations, Whitehorse, YK
Peter Johnston was elected Grand Chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations in June 2016 and reacclaimed in 2019. He is a member of the Yanyedi clan. Peter’s years in service in Teslin Tlingit Council Government have provided him with opportunities to sit in many capacities including education, investments and economic development. He has several years of leadership abilities at the highest levels of First Nations governance.
-
Chief Councillor, Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation Council, Klemtu, BC
As the elected Chief Councillor and Resource Stewardship Director of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nation, Douglas is intimately connected to the people and place in which he works. Douglas has extensive knowledge of the history of the area and traditional culture of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais people, in addition to over a decade of experience working as a bear guide and cultural interpreter in this area.
-
LLB MSC IPC, General Counsel, Cochrane Saxberg LLP, Winnipeg, MB
The Honourable Murray Sinclair’s legal credentials are well known. What is less well known is that he is Anishinaabe and a member of the Peguis First Nation. He is a Fourth Degree Chief of the Midewiwin Society, a traditional healing and spiritual society of the Anishinaabe Nation responsible for protecting the teachings, ceremonies, laws, and history of the Anishinaabe. His Spirit Name is Mizhana Gheezhik (The One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky).
He graduated from law school in 1979. He has been involved with the justice system in Manitoba for over 40 years, first as a lawyer representing Indigenous clients, as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Robson Hall, as Associate Chief Judge of Manitoba’s Provincial Court and as a Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench. He was the first Indigenous Judge appointed in Manitoba and Canada’s second.
He served as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba and as Chief Commissioner of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). As head of the TRC, he participated in hundreds of hearings across Canada, culminating in the TRC’s widely influential report in 2015. He also oversaw an active multi-million dollar fundraising program to support various TRC events and activities, and to allow survivors to travel to attend TRC events. In 2017 Governor General Julie Payette awarded him and the other TRC Commissioners the Meritorious Service Cross (Civilian) (MSC) for service to Canada for their work on the TRC.
He was active within the profession and his community and was a member of the faculty of the National Judicial Institute training judges about Indigenous law and social justice issues. He has won numerous awards, including the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Manitoba Bar Association’s Equality Award (2001), its Distinguished Service Award (2016) and the CBA President’s medal (2018). He has been named as one of Canada’s Indigenous People’s Counsel (IPC) by the Indigenous Bar Association.
He has received Honorary Doctorates from 14 universities. He retired from the Bench in January 2016, and was appointed to the Senate on April 2, 2016. He retired from the Senate effective January 31, 2021, to return to the practice of law and to mentor young lawyers. He is currently writing his memoirs.
-
Associate, Clark Wilson LLP, Vancouver, BC
Megan is a litigator in Clark Wilson’s Business Litigation group. She is a Cree woman and Band Member of the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation. Megan has a diverse litigation practice with a focus on commercial, environmental, Aboriginal and administrative law matters. Megan specializes in complex litigation matters relating to business disputes, environmental assessments of major projects, Aboriginal rights and title issues, regulatory matters, and administrative decision-making. Megan’s advocacy includes representing clients before the Federal Court of Appeal, the British Columbia Supreme Court, and federal and provincial regulatory bodies. Megan is called in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Registration Form
Program:
Indigenous Governance 2024
Date:
February 26, 2024
Location:
UBC Robson Square (800 Robson Street - Classroom level), Vancouver, BC
Registration:
The registration fee is $890.00 plus GST of $44.50 totalling $934.50 for webinar and in-person attendance. Registration fee covers your attendance at the program and electronic materials. In-person attendance includes a catered lunch and refreshments throughout the day.
Early Bird Discount:
Register by January 29th, 2024 and receive a $100 discount on the registration fee ($790.00 plus GST). Discounts cannot be combined.
Group Discount:
Register four persons from the same organization at the same time and you are entitled to a complimentary fifth registration. Discounts cannot be combined.
If you would like to register a group, please fill out this form and email it to registrations@pbli.com:
Payment:
You may pay by VISA, Mastercard or cheque. Cheques should be made payable to the Pacific Business & Law Institute and mailed to Unit 2-2246 Spruce Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 2P3. Please do not send cheques via courier with signature required.
When and Where:
Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. The program starts at 9:00 a.m. (PDT). UBC Robson Square is located at 800 Robson Street in Vancouver, BC, and our event will take place on the classroom level. Please visit https://robsonsquare.ubc.ca/find-us/ for directions.
Materials:
The faculty will prepare papers and/or other materials explaining many of the points raised during this program. Materials will be distributed electronically. Please contact us at registrations@pbli.com if you are unable to attend the program and wish to purchase a set of materials.
Cancellations/Transfers:
Refunds will be given for cancellations (less a $60.00 administration fee) if notice is received in writing five full business days prior to the program (February 19, 2024). After that time we are unable to refund registration fees. Substitutions will be permitted. We reserve the right to cancel, change or revise the date, faculty, content, availability of webinar or venue and transfer in-person registration to webinar registration for this event.
To register by phone:
Telephone us: 604-730-2500
Your Privacy:
We will keep all information that you provide to us in strict confidence, other than to prepare a delegate list containing your name, title, firm and city for our faculty and the program delegates. We do not share our mailing lists with any non-affiliated organization.
Course Accreditation:
Attendance at this course can be listed for up to 6 hours of continuing professional development credits with the Law Society of BC. For practitioners in other jurisdictions, please check your governing body’s CPD requirements.
If you would like to register a group, please fill out this form (DOWNLOAD FORM) and email it to registrations@pbli.com; for individual registration, please continue with form below.