I firstly want to express my gratefulness for receiving the Allan A. Hodgson Arts Internship Award without which this internship would not be possible for me. Thank you to the Family of Mr. Hodgson for their generous support!
As an anthropology student with a keen interest in legal anthropology, I am incredibly grateful to have been able to intern in an organization such as CICADA, which has allowed me to further explore my passion I chose this internship as I wanted to learn about what happens when Indigenous legal systems interact with Settler-state law. I have also had an interest in studying land rights and conservation in the face of resource extraction since early in my degree which has been a focus topic of this internship. In doing so, I also wanted to strengthen my analytical and synthesis skills in French, Spanish and English, which are the languages employed within CICADA.
The Center for Indigenous Conservation and Development Alternatives is a research center which aims to bring together Indigenous partners, scholars and students to develop pathways towards forms of environmental protection and governance that are rooted in Indigenous peoples鈥� collective life projects. CICADA is involved in publications, hosting regular conferences, seminars and it is involved in policy briefs, all with the aim of creating spaces for dialogue.
Throughout the internship, my duties involved doing bibliographic research on the intersection between Indigenous and state legal systems, and on points of convergence between Indigenous and afro-descendant rights. This research will be incorporated into a special publication in the Canadian journal of law and society. My duties also involved supporting my supervisor鈥檚 two-week conference which was in Haida Gwaii. This conference brought together knowledge holders and Indigenous rights advocates from around Latin America with the Haida nation on the topic of resource extraction. In supporting this project, I translated legal as well as other documents relating to mineral extraction and land-use visions. This also involved doing research on the Canadian Critical Mineral Strategy and writing reports on this. Further, throughout I attended a Panel on Indigenous and afro-descendant collective rights and wrote a report. I also attended many team meetings concerning the CICADA social media, newsletter and upcoming grant applications.
My academic background was an immense help in allowing me to fulfill my internship. Not only has my field semester in Panama allowed me to reach fluency in Spanish, it has also allowed me to learn a lot about the issues at hand concerning resource extraction in Latin America. The research project I carried out in Panama also allowed me to have a much better grasp on how natural resource policy intersects with law. Further, the Indigenous field course which I undertook this past May was, in my view, indispensable as it gave me a deep understanding of the forms which Indigenous law can take - through plant medicine, through stories and narratives. This understanding changed what I was looking for in terms of legal material in my research. I also think that my academic background in philosophy has endowed me with good analytical skills whilst reading technical legal texts.
The most memorable moment of my internship was when I was having a conversation with my supervisors and colleagues. They were asking me how the internship was going, and in response, I explained to them that as I am doing my work, I keep feeling sparks. In response, they all smiled and related to my feeling of having found what you are 鈥渕eant鈥� to be studying. This moment was memorable as it was a small bonding moment with other people who share the same sentiment about similar work they are doing. It was also the moment where I really felt good in what I was doing, and which solidified my desire to pursue the study of these topics in a graduate program.
I will be receiving academic credit for this internship. Here, I will be supervised by Dr. Leslie Sabiston for my project which tentatively addresses the intersection between Canadian Critical Mineral Extraction, Indigenous Women鈥檚 Health and territorial rights.
This internship has not only given me deep insight on Indigenous legal systems, it has also led me to bigger reflections on what law is in the first place. It has given me a deeper understanding of the interplay (sometimes clashes) between on-the ground values and practices and larger global entities such as the universal human rights order. I have also learned immensely about politics of recognition; why is it important for Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples to have collective rights recognized, what are the intricacies in recognizing rights 鈥� who, where and why are individuals or groups being recognized, and at what level? Further, how do rights recognitions interact with the constitution? Is the constitution sufficient in guaranteeing rights, what is its sphere of applicability when it englobes multiple legal orders? These are some of the many questions I have been faced with, and my engagement with legal works has pushed me to apply to a Joint Degree Program in Canadian Common Law and Indigenous Legal Orders (JD/JID).
Without funding, I would not have been able to do this internship. The funds I received were solely allotted to my hourly pay. I would like to extend my thanks again to the Family of Mr. Hodgson for their generous funding which has been indispensable for me. Not only has it allowed me to develop skills and learn an incredible amount, but it has also motivated me and confirmed my interest in perusing legal-governance studies.
