Okanagan syilx Homelands, Westbank BC, Oct. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Way’! Weytk! Tansi! Biindigen! Taanishi! Miyotôtâkewin! Tunngsugit! Hay’sxw’qa si’em! Greetings in your ancestral language. As you step through the doors of one of our Indigenous Justice Centres (IJCs), you will be welcomed into a space of warmth and kinship, surrounded by the reflection of Indigenous laws and protocols. Led by the teachings of our Elders and Ancestors, inspired by our fierce leaders of today, and driven by the voices of our youth, a new direction for justice is being set by and for Indigenous people.
Through the BC First Nations Justice Strategy, BCFNJC is expanding a network of IJCs across the province and calling in those seeking and craving change – accomplices who want to change the way they practice law and support, heal, and care for Indigenous people in the justice system. We invite those with diverse professional and lived/living experience – including lawyers, resource support workers, administrators, and legal assistants – to join our Legal and Outreach Teams and contribute to the powerful work being done to transform the justice system.
“The Canadian legal system has long been weaponized as a tool of oppression against Indigenous peoples, perpetuating the harms of colonialism – it has been designed to make an Indigenous person feel isolated, disoriented, and cut-off from the healing connections of their Nations and communities,” stated Chief Kirsten Barnes, IJC Clinical Director at BCFNJC. “Our Indigenous Justice Centres aim to address these lasting impacts by embracing healing, restorative justice, and kinship, grounded in the strength of Indigenous laws and traditions. We are seeking accomplices who want to be a part of this historic move away from a punitive legal system to one that honours, respects, and upholds Indigenous legal traditions, customs, and protocols, prioritizing the wellbeing of Indigenous peoples, families, and communities. We invite you to join us in this transformative re-envisioning of justice!”
Weaving together a strong network of legal and wraparound supports, there are currently 9 physical IJCs operating across the province – in Merritt, Chilliwack, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Vancouver, Kelowna, Surrey, Nanaimo, and Victoria. These IJCs house interdisciplinary Legal and Outreach teams that are actively using their collective community, cultural, and professional expertise to help Indigenous clients not only navigate criminal and child protection cases but access a full spectrum of legal and social supports that ensure they remain connected to the foundational care and support of their communities.
“It is important to know that when you join our IJCs we are doing things differently, outside the framework of a conventional law firm. Our work is holistic, rooted in healing and restoration. With each client we serve, we know that we serve their family, their loved ones, their communities, their Nations – we are all connected and the work of our IJCs transcends a single relation or individual.” states Chief Kirsten Barnes, IJC Clinical Director at BCFNJC. “Every action we take and every decision we make to support a client is grounded in and interwoven with community and the teachings, legal traditions, protocols, and stories of Indigenous ancestors and kin. If this speaks to your heart, please join us.”
BCFNJC is currently in the process of opening six more IJCs in communities across BC, for a total of 15 centres by the end of 2024. With this expansion comes exciting opportunities to join both existing and upcoming IJCs. A variety of positions are open, in different locations across BC, including Office Administrators and Mangers, Intake Liaisons, Resource and Support Workers, Legal Assistants, Staff Lawyers, Gladue Writers, and more. While each team member at our IJCs may have a different title, they all hold the important role of being a helper and caretaker supporting an Indigenous person on their healing and restorative justice journey.
Contribute to empowering work that is being supported by a dynamic network of justice partners and become part of an organization setting a new direction of Indigenous justice, at both the provincial and federal levels. Please view a full list of opportunities here.
About the BCFNJC
The BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC) was created by the BC Assembly of First Nations, the First Nations Summit, and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs who together form the First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC). BCFNJC represents BC First Nations on justice-related issues to bring about transformative change to the legal system. BCFNJC is guided by the unique and comprehensive BC First Nations Justice Strategy (the Strategy) which was jointly developed by the BC First Nations Justice Council, BC First Nations communities and the Province of British Columbia. The Strategy advances 25 individual strategies along two tracks of change: reforming the current criminal justice system and restoring Indigenous justice systems, legal traditions, and structures.
Today, BCFNJC is a dynamic, expanding non-profit organization that is making a powerful, enduring mark on the justice landscape. Guided by the vision and voices of Indigenous leadership, including our Elders and Knowledge Keepers, we employ over 150 people with diverse professional, cultural, and community expertise who are working hard to implement the Justice Strategy and advance Indigenous self-determination over justice. With the direction and support of First Nations communities, work will continue to transform the mainstream colonial justice system and champion innovative, Indigenous-led justice solutions. Visit Tracking Justice for more information.
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