A free Brock University community symposium will discuss the impact of criminalization on Indigenous communities.<\/p>\n
Hosted by the Decolonization Working Group of Brock\u2019s President\u2019s Advisory Committee on Human Rights, Equity and Decolonization (PACHRED), the event takes place Wednesday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Pond Inlet.<\/p>\n
Indigenous scholar and lawyer Beverly Jacobs, Senior Advisor to the President on Indigenous Relations and Outreach at University of Windsor, will present the symposium keynote.<\/p>\n
Jacobs, whose research focuses on Indigenous legal orders, Indigenous holistic health and Indigenous research methodologies, lives and practices law part time at her home community of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in southern Ontario.<\/p>\n
Lyn Trudeau, Lecturer for Sociology as well as Women\u2019s and Gender Studies at Brock, said Jacobs\u2019 perspectives on decolonization of Eurocentric law will be “incredibly valuable” to community members and institutions seeking to engage in equity, diversity and inclusion dialogue and collaboration.<\/p>\n
Jacobs will be joined by guest speakers exploring topics such as the interdisciplinary focus on structural powers of oppression and anti-racism, Two Spirit perspectives, ways of storytelling and activism, Indigenous justice supports and Gladue<\/a>, a type of pre-sentencing and bail hearing report that a Canadian court can request when considering sentencing an offender of Indigenous background.<\/p>\n Symposium speakers include:<\/p>\n By bringing together speakers with diverse experiences and backgrounds, the symposium offers participants an opportunity to explore the issues of “Indigenous de\/criminalization” from many perspectives.<\/p>\n \u201cCriminalization has many visible and invisible ripple effects including victimization, mis\/representation and nonrepresentation. Therefore, we feel it is also necessary to make space for our artists and performers within the symposium to bring in the richness, strength of spirit and joy of our nations throughout the day.\u201d says Trudeau, who is Co-chair of PACHRED\u2019s Decolonization Working Group alongside Hadiya\u2019dag\u00e9nhahs First Nations, M\u00e9tis and Inuit Student Centre Event Co-ordinator Willow Shawanoo-Kechego.<\/p>\n\n