NEWS
Monday, October 13, 2015 5
Anishinaabe Law Camp 2015
The Stories Behind Law
allison grandish › contributor
F
rom 10 Se p t e m be r to 13 September,
approximately forty students and faculty
members from Osgoode Hall Law School
traveled to Neyaashiinigmiing (Cape
Croker), about four hours north of Toronto. Professor
Andrée Boiselle worked with John Borrows, his
daughter Lindsay Borrows, and their community, the
Chippewas of Nawash, to organize the camp and welcome us to Neyaashiinigmiing. Our teachers, meanwhile, came from throughout Neyaashiinigmiing
and other areas within Anishinaabe territory. All of
our instructors and organizers brought their unique
experiences and specialties to provide a multi-faceted
journey through Anishinaabe law.
The purpose of the camp was to provide an opportunity for students to learn on the land, engage with
Anishinaabe legal traditions, and be introduced to
Anishinaabe research methodologies. Rather than
learning in a classroom through lectures, we participated in community-based teaching. Our instructors
shared their experiences of learning Indigenous law
and, to illustrate their journey, led us through a group
activity in which we collaborated to address a legal
issue through the approach used in Anishinaabe legal
pedagogy—taking a story and interpreting it to determine what legal principles it proposed. Throughout
the weekend, discussions of the protocols involved in
components of the camp revealed the extent to which
Indigenous traditions were woven into facets of the
trip that I myself may have taken for granted. The
most marked example was the procedures involved
in observing the sacred fire and respecting the traditions that go into building and maintaining it. We
also had the opportunity to converse with local and
guest teachers during meals and our spare time,
allowing students to discuss p \