Across Canada, Indigenous law research units and initiatives are working to revitalize, preserve, and articulate Indigenous legal traditions and governance systems. They engage in community-led, interdisciplinary research, create educational programs, and develop resources to support Indigenous self-determination, legal education, and access to justice. Many also integrate land-based learning, language revitalization, and cultural knowledge, fostering spaces where Indigenous law, leadership, and scholarship can thrive alongside or in dialogue with Canada’s broader legal system.
Indigenous Law Research Unit (ILRU) — University of Victoria
- Dedicated to the revitalization, research, and articulation of Indigenous legal traditions in Canada.
- Conducts community-led and interdisciplinary research that bridges Indigenous law with contemporary legal systems.
- Publishes resources, organizes workshops, and collaborates with Indigenous communities to strengthen governance, legal education, and access to justice.
- Serves as a national and international hub for scholarship, training, and dialogue on Indigenous legal orders and cultural resurgence.
Indigenous Law Centre — University of Saskatchewan
- Facilitates access to legal education for Indigenous peoples and undertakes legal and interdisciplinary research related to Aboriginal and Indigenous matters.
- Publishes materials like the Canadian Native Law Reporter and works as a specialist resource on Indigenous legal issues.
Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge — University of Alberta
- A research initiative designed to uphold and revitalize Indigenous law through community-led research.
- Co-founded and directed by Dr. Hadley Friedland, who previously served as Research Director of UVic’s ILRU.
Indigenous Legal Orders Institute — University of Windsor
- Launched in 2019 to revitalize, codify, and disseminate Indigenous legal orders through collaboration and creative research methods.
- Conducts law camps grounded in Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe traditions, encourages land-based training, and engages in international outreach.
Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages (CIKL) — York University
- Recently launched at Osgoode Hall, this organized research unit fosters Indigenous and decolonizing scholarship.
- Centers on Indigenous knowledge systems, language revitalization, environmental justice, and creating ethical research spaces.
Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage (IPinCH) Project — Simon Fraser University
- Although not strictly a law unit, this international SSHRC-funded initiative explores Indigenous rights, values, and responsibilities around cultural heritage, material culture, and knowledge—areas intersecting with legal principles.
Dechinta Centre for Research & Learning — Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
- An Indigenous-led, land-based educational centre offering accredited university programming centered on governance, land-based practices, self-determination, and leadership.
- Emphasizes traditional knowledge, Indigenous academic leadership, and immersive, community-driven learning.