Freya Kodar

Reconciliation in the Corporate Commercial Classroom

The 28th Call to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (“TRC”) is for law schools to “require all law students to take a course in Aboriginal people and the law, which includes the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations.” Professors teaching corporate and commercial law may want to respond to the TRC’s Call to Action, but the connection between Aboriginal people and the law in these courses is less obvious than in public law courses. This article provides concrete examples of how six corporate and commercial law professors have tried to advance the project of reconciliation in their classroom, and identifies common themes emerging from their efforts.

Some Pedagogical Reflections

It is always more challenging, and a little nerve-wracking, to deliver an instructional unit someone else has pulled together, even when there has been significant discussion amongst, and input from, the instructional team. This was particularly so for the Insite unit because we were using some “unconventional” texts and teaching methodologies. The material under discussion was both intellectually and personally challenging for many, and it was our first time delivering it. I offer some reflections as a member of the teaching team on the ways in which these particular challenges together produced a rich and exciting unit to teach, and if the student feedback is any indication, provided a significant learning experience.