An Aboriginal scholar is calling for Canada to develop its own Attorney General for Aboriginal people.
Sakej Henderson says he feels the creation of such a position would help bridge the constitutional gap that he feels exists between Indigenous people and the courts.
Henderson, who heads up the University of Saskatchewan’s Native Law Centre, notes some lawyers have worked very hard to understand Aboriginal treaty law.
However, he says they tend to approach it from a European perspective.
He feels Canada’s court system needs someone to help facilitate the understanding between Aboriginal rights enshrined in the Constitution and the current system.
Henderson adds the Attorney General position would be on par with its provincial and federal counterparts.
He would also like to see a “college of elders’ established to help advise the courts about the Aboriginal legal tradition.
Henderson says the courts could also benefit from an Aboriginal legal aid service.
But he notes positions like these cost money — and he doubts they will be created anytime soon due to economic volatility.