Why Coywolf Goes to Court

Abstract

This article is an effort influenced by previous works considered part of "trickster" discourse. But unlike other trickster stories meant to illustrate First Nations' contents and processes, this presentation creates a Métis-specific example of trickster methodology and knowledge. Similar to the historic role Métis individuals have had in Canadian history, this effort contains a type of "translator" system within its citations so that the main story parallels information about trends in Canadian legal analysis. By having this format, it is hoped that those less familiar with Métis courtroom struggles will gain insight into how the pursuit of Métis constitutionalism both protects a culture's existence and ensures Canada's constitution is interpreted in its most robust form. As an attempt to make more knowledge about Indigenous peoples more accessible, this piece is also meant to challenge assumptions within scholarly and judicial circles about the forms intellectual analysis can have.