Douglas Sanderson to receive honorary doctorate from Concordia University

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Professor Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii), who is Sanderson is Beaver Clan from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and holds the Prichard Wilson Chair in Law & Public Policy at the Faculty of Law, will receive an honorary doctorate from Concordia University. 

The university awards honorary doctorates recognizing the exemplary contributions of distinguished individuals. Sanderson is recognized for his expertise and leadership in Indigenous and Aboriginal law.

Sanderson completed his Juris Doctor at U of T and was the managing editor of the inaugural edition of the Indigenous Law Journal. He went on to earn his Master of Law from Columbia University as a Fulbright Scholar. He has been a senior advisor at what is now Ontario’s Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation, as well Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General.

Sanderson is the co-author of the award-winning narrative non-fiction, Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation (HarperCollins 2022), co-written with his former student, Andrew Stobo Sniderman (JD 2014). Both authors say the book attempts to show how government policies entrenched inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

“As the decanal advisor on Indigenous issues at our faculty, Douglas's work has had far-reaching impact beyond the classroom to the very core of our community and the law's role in reconciliation,” says Dean and University Professor Jutta Brunnée, James Marshall Tory Dean’s Chair. “An honorary degree from Concordia University is a wonderful recognition of his expertise and scholarship.”

Sanderson will address graduates and receive his honorary doctorate at Concordia’s Faculty of Arts and Science ceremony on Oct. 15.