Lawyers receive Indigenous culture training, in line with TRC recommendation

The Law Society of P.E.I. and members of the Mi'kmaq community are hosting sessions to help lawyers better understand Indigenous history and culture.

Friday's day-long session will address topics like treaty rights and residential schools. The training is one of 94 recommendations that came out of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015.

Maybe there are some things that they will now understand.- Susan Robinson

The session will be led by Stephen Augustine, dean of Unama'ki College and Aboriginal Learning in Cape Breton.

Susan Robinson, executive director of the Law Society of P.E.I., hopes this training will help Island lawyers better understand the history and context of Indigenous culture on P.E.I., and make relations easier when they come in contact with members of Indigenous communities.

"Now that they have some cultural competency training that they are more educated on how to proceed maybe there are some things that they will now understand about the community," said Robinson.

P.E.I. is one of the first provinces to move forward with the report's recommendation, said Robinson.

The law society hopes to offer more sessions in the future.

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