Allard Law Indigenous Timeline

University of Saskatchewan launches a Summer Program for Native Students; UBC Law Admissions Committee agrees to begin admitting Indigenous students who have completed the Saskatchewan program on a discretionary basis.

UBC Law offers LAW 252 – Native Peoples and the Law. 

UBC Academic Calendar (PNG)

Task Force on Delivery of Legal Services to the Native People of BC created, with representation of the BC Attorney General Department, Union of BC Indian Chiefs, BC Association of Non-Status Indians, Native Courtworkers and Counselling Association of BC. 

Ha-Shilth-Sa - May 12, 1975 (PDF)
Task Force on Delivery of Legal Services to Native People of B.C. (PDF)

Task Force recommends in its report that UBC Law formalize existing admissions policies for Indigenous students and create additional flexibility, in addition to developing a recruitment, tutoring and financial aid program, all overseen by a coordinator specifically appointed to the program.

Increasing Native Student enrollment in Law Schools (PDF)

UBC Law Faculty Council adopts the Task Force recommendations and establishes a Native Student Program Committee responsible for the program; the committee chair has the role of program coordinator.

Questions are addressed to the Attorney-General in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia about the failure of the law program at UBC for Native Indians, and what actions would be taken by the government as a result.

Law students petition the Faculty of Law to have four Indigenous students advance to second year.

Ad hoc Faculty committee to evaluate program recommends a full-time faculty position dedicated to the program’s coordination, teaching relief time for faculty running course-area tutorials and a special student advisor position. None of these recommendations are adopted by Faculty Council. Some changes to tutorials are introduced. 

Government of Canada Department of Justice evaluation report of the Native Law Student Program (Hope-McLean Report) notes the high failure rate of students and the limitations of the Saskatchewan program, and recommends that select universities develop one-year pre-law programs for Indigenous students.

Internal Faculty of Law program evaluation notes that tutoring is informal and voluntary, with some faculty members refusing to participate because of the extra workload. Recruitment efforts have lapsed and there is limited student support, no effective pre-law program, and little content in the curriculum related to Indigenous issues.

Report of the UBC President’s Ad Hoc Committee on British Columbia Native Indian People and Communities released.

Report of the President's Ad Hoc Committee on British Columbia Native Indian People and Communities (PDF)

With help from the Hon. Alfred Scow, UBC Law obtains funding from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to cover a full-time administrative position to support the Native Law Student Program for one year, with the possibility of renewal for up to three years.

Law School Admission Council Minority Enrollment Challenge Grant secured to cover operating expenses of the UBC Law program for three years 

Grant from the Estate of H.R. MacMillan for a two year project to help bands in BC develop forms of self-government.

 UBC Law offers LAW 456 – Native Claims Seminar

UBC Calendar (PNG)

Native Legal Studies Program at UBC Law sponsors a national seminar on “Aboriginal Self-Government”.

Seminar for the Shuswap Tribal Council Task Force on Indian Self-Government.

First Nations House of Learning established at UBC. 

Native Law Students’ Association hosts a simulated potlatch to demonstrate the importance of Indigenous custom and tradition as a legitimate form of legal procedure.

The UBC Academic Calendar publishes the first description of admissions considerations specifically for Indigenous students.

UBC Academic Calendar (PNG)

UBC Law offers LAW 455 – Topics in Native Self-Government

UBC Academic Calendar (PNG)

Department of Indian and Northern Development funding for the UBC program ends.

New ongoing academic position for First Nations Director in the Faculty of Law approved and funded, partly because of pressure from the First Nations House of Learning regarding UBC’s commitment to Indigenous issues.

Native Investment and Trade Association (NITA) established by Indigenous UBC law students.

Native Investment and Trade Association - FNHL Newsletter (PDF)

First Nations Student Program Committee, supplemented by student representatives, charged by the Dean of Law to provide an overall assessment of the program. Recommendations included strengthening student recruitment, improving the tutorial system, prioritizing student housing for Indigenous students, implementing more dedicated Indigenous-focused courses as well as teaching modules on Indigenous issues for eight other courses. The Committee also recommended steps to address a generally hostile environment for Indigenous students.

The program for Indigenous students at UBC Law is renamed as the “First Nations Law Program”.

Student representatives on the First Nations Law Program Committee raise questions about institutional responsibilities around acknowledging systemic racism in the law school and ways to address it, as well as about housing, daycare, articles and a community advisory board.

UBC Law adopts First Nations as a theme of a new clinic program.

Opening of UBC Longhouse.

UBC Law reports offering five courses on Indigenous issues.

Kawaskimhon National Aboriginal Moot launched.

Clinical instructor position for the First Nations Clinical Program (initially funded by the Ministry of the Attorney-General of BC).

Law Society of British Columbia launches Aboriginal Law Graduate Working Group research project on “Discriminatory Barriers facing Aboriginal Law Students and Lawyers”.

First Nations Law Program Committee recommends against granting first-year credit for Indigenous students who have completed the University of Saskatchewan program, revised in 1994 to focus exclusively on property law.

UBC Law reports offering nine courses in the area of First Nations Legal Studies.

First Nations Legal Studies Advisor support staff role created.

Centre for International Indigenous Legal Studies initiated with seed funding from the Law Foundation of British Columbia.

 Final report of the Law Society of British Columbia’s Aboriginal Law Graduate Working Group released.

Law Society of British Columbia provides funding for law students to develop modules for Indigenous content in law school courses; UBC develops modules in criminal law, property law, and constitutional law.

In partnership with the Musqueam Indian Band, the law school holds a forum discussion and feast at the First Nations House of Learning marking twentieth anniversary of the decision of Guerin v. the Queen.

Centre for International Indigenous Legal Studies, in partnership with Indigenous communities, receives SSHRC grant for a three-year study into the traditional governance practices of the Treaty 8 communities of British Columbia.

External review of the First Nations Law Studies program.

First Nations Legal Studies committee organizes an Indigenous Pedagogies Retreat for faculty, staff and student across eight Canadian university to devise strategies to incorporate Indigenous pedagogies into mainstream legal curriculum.

First Nations Legal Clinic hosts the Fifth Annual Indian Law Clinic Symposium, jointly sponsored by UBC Law, the University of New Mexico School of Law and Washburn University School of Law.

Opening of Allard Hall, with display of Musqueam Declaration and a dedicated Indigenous Student Lounge.

Named changed to Indigenous Legal Studies Program.

Mandatory first-year course on Aboriginal and Treaty Rights in Canada introduced.

Installation of House Post of ‘qiyǝplenǝxʷ’ (‘Capilano’) by Musqueam artist Brent Sparrow Jr.

Launch of a Specialization in Aboriginal Law.

Indigenous Awareness camp for Indigenous and non-Indigenous first-year students, led by the Indigenous Law Students’ Association with support from the law school.

New course in Métis law offered – the first of its kind in Canada.

Inaugural meeting of a Dean’s Advisory Committee on Truth and Reconciliation.

Launch of Academic Leadership Program, including academic support for first-year students, academic coaching and regular sessions to foster resilience and well-being.

Launch of Indigenous Cultural Competency Certificate program, a not-for-credit program open to law students, faculty and staff.

New mandatory first-year course in Indigenous Settler Legal Relations introduced.

In the wake of the cancelation of the summer program at the University of Saskatchewan, the law school offers an ILS Summer Intensive in Torts for incoming and conditionally accepted Indigenous students.