Indigenous Law Centre - College of Law, USask

National Indigenous History Month

June is National Indigenous History Month and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day, which recognizes and celebrates the history and diverse cultures of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. People can learn about Indigenization, decolonization, and the history of Indigenous Peoples and cultures through the USask Office of the Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement's website spotlight.usask.ca.

A list of some of National Indigenous History Month local events:

Rock Your Roots Walk for Reconciliation
Day: June 19, 2026
Location: Victoria Park, Saskatoon
Time: Walk begins at 10:30 AM

Métis Nation - Saskatchewan: Free Community BBQ
Day: June 19, 2026
Location: Victoria Park, Saskatoon
Time: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm

Community Screening: Powwow People (with Sky Hopinka)
Day: June 19, 2026
Location: SaskTel Theatre, Remai Modern
Time: 7 pm
Métis Market
Day: June 20, 2026

Location: Remai Modern
Time: 10 am to 4 pm

Wanuskewin National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations
Day: June 21, 2026
Location: Wanuskewin
Time: 10 am to 4 pm

📣 Reminder: Registration Closes June 8!

There’s still time to register for Let’s Talk Indigenous Repatriation, a free, in-person event taking place on June 16, 2026 at the USask College of Law.

Join us for a day of discussion and learning about Indigenous repatriation and related conversations in this area. Additional information about speakers and sessions will be shared closer to the event.

📅 June 16, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 USask College of Law, 15 Campus Drive, Saskatoon
🎟️ Free to attend, but registration is required

Registration closes June 8, 2026.
Register here: https://RepatriationJune16.eventbrite.ca

Hosted by:
• Professor Jaime Lavallee, COL

Event Partners:
• Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC)
• Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre (SICC)
• Indigenous Law Centre (ILC)
• Carlton College

Whether you are a student, community member, professional, or simply interested in learning more, all are welcome to attend.
We hope you'll join us for this important conversation.

Join us for Let’s Talk Indigenous Repatriation, a free, in-person discussion exploring the repatriation of objects to Indigenous Peoples and communities.

This one-day event will bring together those interested in learning more about Indigenous repatriation and related discussions in this area. Additional information about speakers and sessions will be shared closer to the event.

📅 Date: June 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Location: USask College of Law, 15 Campus Drive, Saskatoon
🎟️ Free to attend, but registration is required
📌 Registration deadline: June 8, 2026

Link to Register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1990343195075?aff=oddtdtcreator

Hosted by:
• Professor Jaime Lavallee, COL USask
• Dion Tootoosis, SICC

Whether you are a student, community member, professional, or simply interested in learning more, all are welcome to attend.
Parking information: Visitor and daily parking is available through USask Parking and Transportation Services.

For those travelling to Saskatoon, hotel accommodations are available through the USASK Faculty Rate at participating hotels.

We hope you’ll join us for this important conversation.

Join us for Let’s Talk Indigenous Repatriation, a free, in-person discussion exploring the repatriation of objects to Indigenous Peoples and communities.

This one-day event will bring together those interested in learning more about Indigenous repatriation and related discussions in this area. Additional information about speakers and sessions will be shared closer to the event.

📅 Date: June 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Location: USask College of Law, 15 Campus Drive, Saskatoon
🎟️ Free to attend, but registration is required
📌 Registration deadline: June 8, 2026

Link to Register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1990343195075?aff=oddtdtcreator

Hosted by:
• Professor Jaime Lavallee, COL USask
• Dion Tootoosis, SICC

Whether you are a student, community member, professional, or simply interested in learning more, all are welcome to attend.
Parking information: Visitor and daily parking is available through USask Parking and Transportation Services.

For those travelling to Saskatoon, hotel accommodations are available through the USASK Faculty Rate at participating hotels.

We hope you’ll join us for this important conversation.

On April 27, 2026, the Indigenous Law Centre was honoured to gather with family, friends, students, and community members for the presentation of the first annual Loud Thunder Bird Scholarship.

This scholarship was created in memory of Lional Shawn Kayseas (August 31, 1975 – May 2, 2023), a deeply loved lawyer, friend, and community member remembered for his kindness, humour, and the joy he brought to others. His motto was: “making people happy – even just for the moment.”

Lional spent much of his life moving between English and Saulteaux (Nakawē / Nakawewin), the language spoken by his beloved KoKo, his maternal grandmother. His connection to language, family, and community continues to inspire those who knew him.

The scholarship was made possible through the efforts of Lional’s close friend and fellow lawyer, who organized fundraising efforts through GoFundMe, alongside the support of many friends, family members, and community supporters. This award will continue annually in support of Indigenous law students.

We are incredibly proud to recognize the first recipient of this scholarship, Amy Constant, who is graduating from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law this year. Amy has been a dedicated and active member of the Indigenous law student community throughout her time at the College of Law. She served for several years as President of the Indigenous Law Students’ Association (ILSA), was voted Valedictorian by the Law Students’ Association (LSA) student body this year, and has consistently been someone eager to support and uplift others.

Amy’s bubbly and caring personality makes her a fitting recipient of an award created in memory of someone who valued bringing happiness to those around him. While she will be greatly missed at the university, we are excited to see her begin the next chapter of her journey in law following graduation. Congratulations, Amy!

During the ceremony, Lional’s mother, Ella Kayseas, shared heartfelt words in remembrance of her son, alongside reflections from his aunt, family members, and friends. We are grateful to everyone who joined us to honour his memory and celebrate the future of Indigenous legal education.

Photos from the day include moments from the ceremony, family-made shirts created in Lional’s memory, and a photo of Amy alongside Lional’s mother and our Centre staff member, Tanya.
If you would like to learn more about Lional’s life, his obituary can be found here:
Lional Kayseas Obituary May 2, 2023 - Tompkins Funeral Home

If anyone is interested in supporting Indigenous students’ legal education through scholarships, awards, programming, or other initiatives, more information can be found here:
Give back - College of Law | University of Saskatchewan

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Going Forward Together on May 9th as we celebrated 50+ years of the Indigenous Law Centre. Whether you attended for the full day, joined us for lunch or dinner, or stopped in to reconnect, we truly appreciated having you there.

It was wonderful to see members of the ILC community from many different years and generations reconnecting, sharing stories, catching up, and building new connections. The energy, excitement, and sense of community throughout the day made the celebration incredibly special.

A special thank you to those who traveled long distances to attend, as well as to all the Elders, speakers, performers, and supporters who helped make the event such a success. We are especially grateful to Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre for providing the space for our dinner gathering, and to the Indigenous Bar Association for helping promote the event. More information about the Indigenous Bar Association and membership opportunities can be found at www.indigenousbar.ca.

The day began in a good way with opening remarks from our Centre’s Cultural Advisors, Joseph Naytowhow and Julia Pitzel, followed by tours of the College of Law and the Indigenous Law Centre. Attendees also took part in an outdoor activity led by Elders focused on shawls. Guests left their mark with red handprints and by adding ribbon onto Tipi’s Shawl, which will remain on display throughout the summer.

The evening featured a keynote address from Gerald Morin, OC, KC, IPC, along with remarks from Drew Lafond and Lawren Trotchie. The celebration concluded with fiddle music from J.J. Lavallee, accompanied by guitarist Mitch Daigneault, along with a dinner featuring Indigenous-created recipes.

We are excited to continue creating opportunities for the ILC community to reconnect in the future. If you have not already done so, we encourage you to sign up for our email contact list to stay connected with upcoming events and community updates: https://indigenouslaw.usask.ca/our-network.php

📣 Only 8 days to go, ⏳registration closes soon!
🎉 Don’t miss out, come celebrate with us. Register today!

Are you an alumnus of the Indigenous Law Centre (formerly the Native Law Centre or PLSNP)? We’d love to reconnect with you!

We’d love for you to reconnect with the ILC community in person at our May 9 celebration, see event details below. If you haven’t already, please also sign up for the ILC Community email list to stay connected and receive future updates. Alumni and members of the broader ILC community are welcome to join through our website: https://indigenouslaw.usask.ca/our-network.php

Share this post with classmates, colleagues, and friends who were part of the program!

Join us for a special celebration:
Going Forward Together – May 9, 2026
Celebrate 50+ years of the Indigenous Law Centre as we reconnect, reflect, and honour our shared history while expanding your professional network.

Event Highlights:
• Mocktails & live music featuring JJ Lavallee (fiddle) with supporting guitar
• Dinner with keynote speaker Gerald Morin, OC, KC, along with remarks from Drew Lafond and Lawren Trotchie.

🎟 Register here:
https://ILCGoingForwardTogether.eventbrite.ca
Ticket cost is $85 + taxes, registration closes May 3 at noon
Ticket includes lunch & dinner

More details (hotel, parking, agenda, and updates) are available on the Eventbrite page and the College of Law, USask events page.

We hope to see you there!

🌿 Knowledge Sovereignty Workshop | April 22, 2026 🌿

We’re pleased to share an upcoming kihci-okāwīmāw askiy Knowledge Centre workshop on Knowledge Sovereignty, learning about the ethically responsible ways that traditional knowledge is accessed, earned, and shared. This session is the fifth in a five-part series and will include a guided discussion following a short video.

🎙️ Presenter:
• kēhtē-aya, Joseph Naytowhow, Cultural Advisor with the Indigenous Law Centre, will be leading the conversation.

📅 Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026
🕐 Time:
• 2:00 – 2:30 PM: Visiting & refreshments (2 pm arrival recommended)
• 2:30 – 4:00 PM: Workshop (in person only)

Participants are encouraged to attend all sessions in the series, but you are welcome to join even if you haven’t attended previous workshops. All are welcome.

🔗 Register here: https://askiy.usask.ca/askiy-workshop-series.php
📧 Questions? Email: [email protected]
🌎 To explore more workshops, visit the kihci-okāwīmāw askiy Knowledge Centre website: https://askiy.usask.ca/askiy-workshop-series.php

Join us on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, for this in-person workshop led by elder Joseph Naytowhow. Seating is limited. We will post the link for registration in the comments.

Are you an alumnus of the Indigenous Law Centre (formerly the Native Law Centre or PLSNP)? We’d love to reconnect with you!

We’re rebuilding our alumni network and invite you to stay connected. If you haven’t already, please sign up for the ILC Alumni email list and update your contact information with us. Alumni and members of the broader ILC community who are interested in receiving updates are also welcome to sign up through our website:
https://indigenouslaw.usask.ca/our-network.php

📣 Help us spread the word, please share this post with classmates, colleagues, and friends who were part of the program!

We also invite you to join us for a special celebration:

Going Forward Together – May 9, 2026
Celebrate 50+ years of the Indigenous Law Centre as we reconnect, reflect, and honour our shared history while expanding your professional network.

Event Highlights:
• Mocktails & live music featuring JJ Lavallee (fiddle) with supporting guitar
• Dinner with keynote speaker Gerald Morin, OC, KC, along with remarks from special guests

🎟 Register here:
https://ILCGoingForwardTogether.eventbrite.ca

Ticket cost is $85 + taxes
Ticket includes lunch & dinner.

More details (hotel, parking, agenda, and updates) are available on the Eventbrite page and the College of Law, USask events page.

We hope to see you there!

Congratulations to all recipients of the Indigenous Achievement Awards! 🎉

We’d like to give special recognition to one of our students, Jaylynn Stonechild, who received the Leadership Award from the College of Law. Jaylynn is pictured here with our Centre’s Cultural Advisors, Elder Julie Pitzel and Elder Joseph Naytowhow.

We are proud of Jaylynn’s contagious positive attitude and the energy she brings in encouraging fellow students to get involved with our Centre and across the College of Law. She continually shows cultural pride and curiosity, always eager to learn and ask questions while seeking guidance from our Elders.

We would also like to recognize Elder Julie Pitzel and Elder Joseph Naytowhow, who received recognition for their work with the USask Wise Ones Circle. We are grateful for the knowledge, guidance, and support they share with our students and community.

Jaylynn is also a member of the College of Law’s 2026 Kawaskimhon National Aboriginal Moot Team, and we look forward to cheering on the entire team as they represent the College of Law.