Máire Obrien

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT MÁIRE OBRIEN

When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report and Recommendations was released in 2015, I made a solemn commitment to do what I could to contribute to justice for Canada’s Indigenous peoples. COVID brought about a tremendous shift in my career so that I have been able to realize this commitment in a good way. In 2018, I began to learn about the severity of Canada\'s colonial genocidal policies and actions with an online course given by Indigenous Awareness Training & Certification Canada. Knowing this was barely scratching the surface, I later took 2 courses at York University; one with Professor Bonita Lawrence in Indigenous People, Legend and Memory and another with Professor Jesse Thistle in an Introduction to Indigenous Studies. While in Victoria, BC, the community was very proactive in raising the issues MMIWG2S+ and I fully supported the Stolen Sisters March and all activities in between. This supreme miscarriage of justice further deepened my commitment. During COVID, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (BCCIC) held regular, monthly public online meetings that dealt with constitutional treaty rights issues that were before the courts. They also dealt with housing and health matters on reserve. I was well accepted as an observer and attended nearly every session for over a year. I became a licensed paralegal in May 2024 with the primary objective of working in access to justice for Indigenous peoples. Entry into this field has not easy but in an effort to sharpen my skill set I recently completed an Osgoode Certificate in the Fundamentals of Indigenous Peoples and Canadian Law that took an in-depth case law look at the Indian Act, land management, aboriginal title, duty to consult, UNDRIP, child welfare and rights. I am currently registered in Osgoode’s Certificate in Consultation with Indigenous Peoples which will provide a practical & foundational understanding of the duty to consult, from early engagement to accommodation and beyond by weaving Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous legal traditions with Canadian legal principles. I just completed a robust, 2-day online course on Gladue in Practice (2024) organized by Continuing Legal Education Society of BC (CLEBC) & BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC). I am also in the process of studying “The Gladue Principles: A Guide to the Jurisprudence”, Jason Ralston (Indigenous Law Centre, University of Saskatchewan). I know this knowledge in and of itself is insufficient without application; I am eager and willing to receive more formal training in this regard.