About
Born to settler parents on Coast Salish territories, I earned my law degree from the University of Victoria in 2005 and my Master of Laws from the University of British Columbia in 2010.
As a criminal defence and Aboriginal rights lawyer based in the Nishnawbe-Aski Nation, I represented clients from remote communities and at all levels of court in Ontario. From 2015-2021, I was Senior Researcher with the Indigenous Law Research Unit at the University of Victoria.
With ILRU, I worked with community-guided legal revitalization projects in a wide range of areas of law and legal traditions, including Secwépemc (territorial governance and citizenship); syilx, NÅ‚eÊ”kepmx, Tsilhqot’in and Cowichan (water governance), Sm’algyax-speaking/Tsimshian (inter-nation cooperation and conflict resolution), Anishinaabeg (family-centred governance and responses to harm), Coast Salish (child and caregiver nurturance & safety), Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in (land-centred human rights), and Dene, Dane-zaa, Cree and Saulteaux (land and treaty relationships).
I have contributed to legal education in the public and law school, including the joint degree program in Canadian Common Law and Indigenous Legal Orders (JD/JID) through teaching, workshops, and writing.
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My recent work includes:
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Creating a Community Workbook for Nations considering intoxicant bylaws;
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Supporting the implementation of Indigenous laws through the Nicola Watershed Governance Partnership;
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Legal research and writing for the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Burials associated with Indian Residential Schools. This included drafting reports on addressing trauma and upholding Indigenous laws in the search, recovery and care of missing children and burial sites.
Simon Owen, BA LLB LLM