Val Napoleon receives Royal Society of Canada Yvan Allaire Medal

Val Napoleon, a distinguished leader in the revitalization of Indigenous law in Canada, has been honoured with the Yvan Allaire Medal by the Royal Society of Canada. This honour recognizes her exemplary contributions to the field of governance, particularly through her work in Indigenous legal orders.

Professor in the Faculty of Law and Law Foundation Chair of Indigenous Justice and Governance, Napoleon’s vision for Canada is one where Indigenous legal orders, complete with laws, institutions and legal processes, are fully functioning and operational, fostering healthy citizens and safe communities. She has been instrumental in several initiatives at the UVic Faculty of Law, including establishing the Indigenous Law Research Unit and co-leading the development of the dual degree Juris Doctor/Juris Indigenarium Doctor (JD/JID) program. The first of its kind in the world, JD/JID students obtain the full content of UVic’s Common Law degree, together with greatly enhanced skills to work productively within Indigenous legal orders. Napoleon has also co-led the development of the National Centre of Indigenous Laws (NCIL)*, set to open as a new wing to the Fraser building in Spring 2025.

“The NCIL will be a hub to bring together people from local, national and international communities,” says Napoleon. “This includes creating a space to ask questions that are central to Indigenous self-determination and governance such as: how do we deal with conflict, the hard questions regarding citizenship, and how do we address the deeply ingrained problems of gender violence.”

She envisions the NCIL as a vibrant space for hosting critical discussions and research. “The NCIL will house the Indigenous Law Research Unit, the Environmental Law Centre and other experiential learning initiatives, along with faculty and program offices, multiple-pedagogy classrooms, an elders’ garden and centre. We will make NCIL a live and dynamic centre for people and issues,” says Napoleon.

Napoleon is now embarking on a new initiative aimed at the restoration of Indigenous legal orders. This ambitious project, undertaken in partnership with Indigenous peoples, seeks to address governance, lands and waters, harms and injuries, family conflicts and gender and human rights issues.

The first legal order Napoleon and her team will undertake will be based in British Columbia, supported by the Law Foundation of BC. Although the specific legal order is still under consideration, this project will work directly with Indigenous communities to restore and revitalize their legal traditions.

You can’t be a people without law, and you can’t govern without law. If you think of all the ways that you interact in your daily life—your mobility, relationships, transactions—law is implicitly and explicitly woven around you, and you are always engaging with it. These are the reasons why Indigenous law is important to Indigenous people. Our economies and legal orders are closely tied, and it’s about thinking, about solving problems and about understanding ourselves in relation to other people.”

- Val Napoleon, Law Foundation Chair of Indigenous Justice and Governance

Napoleon acknowledges the unique environment at UVic, which includes over 80 Indigenous faculty members, as a vital component to the work she has undertaken. “These initiatives would not have taken hold without the unanimous support of all people in this law school. At the university, we have had continued support for the work we’re doing as well as the work being done in other faculties such as language and education. This makes the university overall a very rich place for Indigenous individuals,” says Napoleon. “It’s that kind of institutional commitment on the part of everyone—the staff and faculty—that have made this all possible. It’s not just one person; change doesn’t happen in a vacuum.”

Read the Royal Society of Canada news release 

UVic RSC fellows and members 

*The National Centre of Indigenous Laws is a provisional name.