The best interests of the child is still the primary consideration for decision-making but requires a different approach. It includes the importance of ongoing relationships for Indigenous children and should be considered in light of the cultural continuity and substantive equality principles
The Wahkohtowin Lodge responds to the expressed needs of Indigenous communities and organizations and specifically answers the TRC Call to Action #50, which calls for the creation of Indigenous Law Institutes for the “development, use and understanding of Indigenous laws.”
The Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge is a dedicated research unit based out of the University of Alberta. The Wahkohtowin Lodge’s objectives are to uphold Indigenous laws and governance by:
- Supporting Indigenous communities’ goals to identify, articulate, and implement their own laws,
- Developing, gathering, amplifying, and transferring wise practices, promising methods and research tools,
- Producing useful and accessible public legal education resources list