College of Law Lecture: Celebrating Two Spirit Identity Is Part of Indigenous/Treaty Rights
General Guest Speakers
JOIN US at the College of Law for the Wunusweh Lecture in Aboriginal Law, featuring guest speaker Professor Tuma Young. The presentation will focus on Remembering, Restoring & Reclaiming Indigenous laws on Two Spirit Identity, roles, responsibilities and how to protect our Two Spirited Community using Indigenous Legal Principles, International Legal Instruments and Canadian laws.
Celebrating Two Spirit Identity Is Part of Indigenous/Treaty Rights
12:00 p.m. | MLT Aikins Lecture Theatre (Room 150), College of Law, UofS
Speaker: Professor Tuma Young
Professor Young will present on the history of the Two Spirit people of Canada and how Two Spirit expressions of Identity are encapsulated and protected under Indigenous (Aboriginal) and/or Treaty Rights which are affirmed and protected under Indigenous Laws, International Laws and under Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution.
Tuma Young, K.C., is an L’nu (Mi’kmaq) from Malagawatch reserve and his band is Eskasoni First Nation. Tuma was born into the Attu’wej (Squirrel) clan for the Aplikjumuj (Rabbit) clan. Tuma is the spouse of Nicolaas Honig and resides in Sydney River where he teaches Mi’kmaq Studies at Cape Breton University and has a private legal practice focusing on Indigenous Law, Aboriginal Law, Health Law, Estates, Board Governance, Adjudication, and Arbitration. Tuma gives back by offering pro bono legal services to the community.
Tuma’s grew up on his mother’s trapline at Malagawatch and where he learned about L’nuwin Pisun and later took undergraduate studies in Ethnobotany (the study of plants used by Indigenous peoples). Tuma loves to lead L’nuwin Pisun medicine walks where he shows folks which plants are used by L’nu people and illustrates the importance of biodiversity in Mi’kma’ki.
Tuma’s other research interest is in reclaiming and restoring “L’nuwey Tplutaqan: Mi’kmaq Legal Principles; the traditional roles and responsibilities of 2 Spirited people and the Political activism of the L’nu from 1900’s to the present.
In addition, Tuma is the first L’nuwisit (fluent Mi’kmaq speaking) lawyer called to the bar in Nova Scotia (2001) and was also the First Indigenous President of a Law Society in Canada when he became the President of the Nova Scotia Barristers Society in 2021. Tuma currently sits as the Nova Scotia Board Representative on the National Canadian Bar Association and is a proud member of the Indigenous Bar Association, Cape Breton Barristers ‘ Society, Eastern Door Group of L’nu Lawyers, and the NS Barristers’ Society.
Event Details
- When:
- Time:
- 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM CST
- Location:
- 15 Campus Dr, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A6 - MLT Aikins Lecture Theatre (Room 150), College of Law, U of S
- File:
- wintertermlineup_lectures.pdf