Akwesasne creates first indigenous court in Canada for and by indigenous people
MONTREAL — The Mohawk band council of Akwesasne has introduced what is considered the first indigenous legal system in Canada outside a federal framework.
While First Nations band councils have been passing and enforcing legislation on reserves across the country for decades, those bylaws are either tied to the Indian Act or within a self-governance agreement with the federal government.
What’s special about the new court law passed by the council of Akwesasne — a reserve that straddles the Quebec, Ontario and New York state borders — is that it was drafted by the community and independently of Ottawa.
“We did it and our community is behind us,” said Joyce King, director of justice in Akwesasne. “It’s a historical moment. It’s the first in Canada.”