Canadian Indigenous law

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/canadian-indigenous-law

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the number of indigenous nations?Canada comprises over 900 distinct Indigenous groups, each with unique legal traditions
2. What is Indigenous law in Canada?Indigenous law is the legal traditions, customs, and practices that belong to Indigenous peoples in Canada. It is different from the laws made by the Canadian government and is still used today.
3. How do Indigenous communities keep their laws alive?Most laws are passed down by telling stories, teaching lessons, and having elders and special law-keepers explain them. This oral way helps the laws stay useful as times change.

Indigenous Legal Traditions: The inherent, pre-colonial legal orders and customs of Indigenous peoples, distinct from state-imposed laws.
Oral Jurisprudence: Legal systems primarily transmitted and interpreted through spoken word, stories, and communal memory.
Legal Pluralism: The existence of multiple legal systems within a single society, such as Indigenous law alongside Canadian law.
Sovereignty: The inherent authority and right of Indigenous nations to govern themselves according to their own laws and customs.