(UPDATE) Doig River First Nation to host Indigenous justice conference

Updated, July 25th, 5 p.m.: The conference was inspired by efforts to establish an Indigenous court, rather than the Indigenous Justice Centre in Fort St. John. This article has been updated and Energeticcity.ca is happy to set the record straight.

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — Doig River First Nation (DRFN) will host a national justice conference this November to explore restorative Indigenous-led justice.

According to a press release, the Walking the Path of Justice: First Nations Court Conference is slated to focus on “Indigenous law, restorative justice and community-driven solutions to Canada’s justice crisis.”

It says the conference was inspired by the efforts to establish an Indigenous court in Fort St. John, and a statement by the DRFN council cites the event as symbolizing the call for a “paradigm shift” in how justice is viewed within Canada.

“[Justice] moves beyond symbolic inclusion to recognize Indigenous legal orders as legitimate, resourced and equal within a reformed justice system,” reads part of the statement.

Data from the Department of Justice Canada suggest Indigenous people nationwide have a less-than-favourable opinion of the justice system, with just 11 per cent viewing the criminal justice system as ‘fair,’ according to the 2023 National Justice Survey.

Themes of the conference will include legal traditions in community-based courts; sentencing and wraparound service delivery for family law; Indigenous court structure; and legalities as they pertain to the First Nations, such as section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, Bill C-92 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Guests for the two-day conference include Chief Justice Leonard Marchand Jr., who is of Syilx descent and is a member of Okanagan Indian Band.

Marchand Jr. was named Chief Justice of British Columbia by then-prime minister Justin Trudeau in 2023, becoming the first person of Indigenous heritage to hold the seat.

Also included will be Dr. Cindy Blackstock, a member of the Gitxsan Nation who serves as the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada.

The Walking the Path of Justice: First Nations Court Conference will take place from November 19th to 21st, 2025 at the Ovintiv Events Centre at 300 Highway 2 in Dawson Creek.

Further details and free registration are available at the event’s website.