Professor Darlene Johnston named as Indigenous Peoples' Counsel by IBA

One of Canada's most important and accomplished legal scholars, Professor Darlene Johnston of the Faculty of Law has been awarded the designation of Indigenous People's Counsel from the Indigenous Bar Association of Canada, (IBA), a non-profit professional organization for Indian, Inuit and Métis persons trained in the field of law.

The Indigenous Peoples' Counsel designation (I.P.C.) is awarded each year to an Indigenous lawyer in recognition of outstanding achievements in the practice of law and service to her community.  The award was presented to Prof. Johnston last week at the IBA's annual conference in Toronto.

"As Dean, it is my great fortune to have a scholar, advocate and teacher like Darlene Johnston at the law school," says Dean Mayo Moran. "In addition to her outstanding research, Professor Johnston is a passionate and dedicated teacher and a committed mentor to her students, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal," she adds.

Writing from what she describes as a "bi-cultural tradition," Prof. Johnston's work focuses on both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal laws, histories and sources, and has had an enormous impact on the pursuit of achieving justice for Aboriginal peoples in Canada. 

Professor Johnston has written many academic articles and two significant books.  Her first book, The Taking of Indian Lands in Canada: Consent or Coercion?, provides a detailed examination of the methods in which Aboriginal lands were obtained by Europeans. Her second book, Litigating Identity: The Challenge of Aboriginality, is forthcoming from UBC Press.

"On behalf our faculty and students, we thank the IBA for recognizing Professor Johnston's many contributions to the advancement of legal and social justice for indigenous peoples in Canada, and congratulate her on a most prestigious and well-deserved honour," says Dean Moran.