Reconciliation in the Corporate Commercial Classroom

Abstract

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.