Indigenous professionals come together to learn from each other during this empowering retreat.
Friday, May 23
4:30pm | Registration Opens
6:30pm | Welcome Reception
Saturday, May 24
8:00am | Breakfast
8:50am | Opening Remarks
9:00am | Connection through Culture
With an emphasis on connection and relationship-building, our retreat begins by learning about each other during a facilitated session.
Facilitators
Martin Bühler, Buhler Law
Christina J. Cook, BC First Nations Justice Council
9:50am | Pathways into Politics
Considering a career in politics? Learn about being an Indigenous lawyer-turned-politician.
Speakers
Rosalind Campbell, Arbutus Law Group
Debra Febril, Nisga’a Lisims Government
Debra Hanuse, First Nations Summit
Douglas White III, KC, Special Council to the Premier on Indigenous Reconciliation
11:05am | Health Break
11:20am | Managing a Law Firm
Discover what it’s like to be part of your firm’s leadership team or even the boss of your own firm from Indigenous lawyers who have taken the leap.
Speakers
Cynthia Callison, Callison & Hanna
Leah Mack, Mack Law Corp
Tamara Napoleon, Miller Titerle + Company
12:20pm | Lunch
1:20pm | Medicine Making & Cultural Creative Practices
Salve Making
Study plant teachings from harvesting, infusing oil with medicines, processing plants and how to
make salves.
Medicine Bag Building
Discover the medicinal and healing qualities of plants. Assemble a medicine bag and learn simple
beading techniques.
Cedar Weaving
Learn how to weave either a cedar headband or bracelet and leave with your creation.
Facilitators
Aunty Collective: Indigenous Creative Practice Hub
3:05pm | Closing Remarks
3:10pm | Free Time
6:00pm | Dinner
Keynote: Hugh Braker, KC, Political Executive, First Nations Summit
Reflections from a distinguished legal elder.
Sunday, May 25
9:00am | Upholding Indigenous Legal Orders: What every Indigenous lawyer needs to know
Learn from the leaders in this area about Indigenous legal orders and the emerging area of legal drafting of Indigenous legal orders.
Speakers
Melanie Mortensen, BC Public Service
Val Napoleon, University of Victoria
10:00am | Brunch
10:30am | 100 Questions for 100 Lawyers
Participants are invited to submit questions throughout the weekend. Questions can be about practice advice, ethical issues or substantive law. On Sunday morning, we host an open discussion about these questions. What better way to discuss a topic than by tapping into the brain trust of 100 Indigenous lawyers!
Facilitators
Christina J. Cook, BC First Nations Justice Council
Andrea Glen, BC Ministry of Attorney General
Breanne Martin, Woodward & Company
12:00pm | Closing Remarks & Door Prizes
We thank the Aboriginal Lawyers Forum Executive for their help with planning the retreat.
Christina J. Cook, Chair
Martin Bühler, Vice-Chair
Adam Munnings, , Past Chair & Representative to CBABC Board of Directors
Isabel F. Jackson, Past Chair & Member-at-Large
Randy W. Robinson, Past Chair
Breanne Martin, Law & Policy Liaison
Andrea Glen, Member-at-Large
Jesse Young, Member-at-Large
Charlotte Rose, Member-at-Large
Shawnee Monchalin, Member-at-Large
Trevor Tailfeathers, Student Liaison, Thompson Rivers University, Faculty of Law
Katarina Sawchuk, Student Liaison, University of Victoria, Faculty of Law
Kristofer Charlebois, Student Liaison, University of British Columbia, Peter A. Allard School of Law
