OUR TEAM
Our staff, students and affiliates
Staff
Our team comes to this work as a community of Indigenous and settler scholars, lawyers, professors, and researchers with diverse backgrounds and experience working with Indigenous communities. We are committed to building and maintaining the relationships we develop through our work to support the recovery, revitalization, and re-articulation of Indigenous laws.
Director: Dr. Val Napoleon
She/Her
As Director and co-founder of ILRU, Dr. Val Napoleon is responsible for the vision and direction of ILRU, and bridging the work of ILRU with University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law and beyond through teaching, writing and public engagement. She is also a principal investigator on ILRU’s projects.
Val is Cree from Saulteau First Nation and an adopted member of the Gitanyow [northern Gitxsan].
Associate Director: Dr. Darcy Lindberg
Him/His
As Associate Director of ILRU, Dr. Darcy Lindberg is responsible for the vision and direction of ILRU, and bridging the work of ILRU with University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law and beyond through teaching, writing and public engagement. He is also a principal investigator on ILRU’s projects.
Darcy Lindberg is mixed-rooted Plains Cree, with his family coming from maskwâcîs (Samson Cree Nation) in Alberta and the Battleford-area in Saskatchewan.
Associate Director: Dr. Rebecca Johnson
She/Her
As Associate Director of ILRU, Dr. Rebecca Johnson is responsible for the vision and direction of ILRU, and bridging the work of ILRU with University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law and beyond through teaching, writing and public engagement. She is also a principal investigator on ILRU’s projects.
Rebecca is a settler born in Treaty 7 Territory. She spent—and continues to spend—her summers in Secwepemcúl’ecw. She is fortunate and grateful to live on the unceded territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.
Research Director: Tara Williamson
She/Her/They/Them
As Research Director of ILRU, Tara Williamson is responsible for the vision and direction of ILRU’s research, and serving as project lead and senior researcher on its projects. She is also responsible for supervising the day-to-day operations at ILRU, including all students and staff. Tara also teaches, and facilitates workshops and presentations at the law school, as part of ILRU projects, and in the broader community.
Tara is a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and was raised in Gaabishkigamaag (Swan Lake, Manitoba). She is fortunate and grateful to live on the unceded territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.
Research Director: Jessica Asch
She/Her/Hers
As Research Director of ILRU, Jessica Asch is responsible for the vision and direction of ILRU’s research, and serving as project lead and senior researcher on its projects. She is also responsible for supervising the day-to-day operations at ILRU, including all students and staff. Jessica also teaches, and facilitates workshops and presentations at the law school, as part of ILRU projects, and in the broader community.
Jessica is a settler from Treaty 6 Territory. She is fortunate and grateful to live on the unceded territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.
Coordinator: Brooke Edmonds
She/Her
As Coordinator of ILRU, Brooke Edmonds works collaboratively with the ILRU team, community partners, and the UVic community to facilitate the ILRU’s vision and goals. She is ILRU’s lead on outreach, communications and publications, and also facilitates workshops and presentation as part of ILRU’s projects and in the broader community.
Brooke is a visitor from te Whānau-ā-Apanui located in Aotearoa (New Zealand). She currently lives on the unceded territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.
Researcher: Cheyenne Arnold-Cunningham
She/Her
As an ILRU Researcher, Cheyenne Arnold-Cunningham is responsible for assisting with our research, workshop and focus group design and facilitation, and the application of ILRU’s methodologies on the revitalization of Indigenous laws. Cheyenne also conducts presentations within the law school and the broader community.
Cheyenne is Métis with Métis roots in St. Albert and manitou sahkahikan (Lac Ste Anne), Alberta. She also has mixed European ancestry. She was born and raised in Ontario and currently lives on the traditional territory of the Ts’uubaa-asatx, Ditidaht, and Quw’utsun peoples.
Researcher: Ellen Campbell
They/Them/Theirs
As an ILRU Researcher, Ellen Campbell is responsible for assisting with our research and curriculum-development projects.
Ellen is a settler with Scottish, English, French, German, and Norse ancestry who was raised on Michi Sagiig Nishnaabeg, syilx, and Quw’utsun territories. They are grateful to be an uninvited guest, living and working on MÁLEXEȽ and Quw’utsun territories.
Co-Researcher: Lori Groft
As an ILRU Researcher, Lori Groft is responsible for assisting with our research and curriculum-development projects.
Lori is a settler from Treaty 7 Territory.
Financial and Reporting Facilitation Officer: Heather Chestnutt
As the ILRU’s Financial and Reporting Officer, Heather Chestnutt is responsible for supporting the financial administration of our project funds. She also facilitates the development of research applications and assists with grant reporting.
Heather is a settler from xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Territory.
Current students
We train students, the upcoming generation of legal professionals, through research placements at our unit. Students have the opportunity to engage in research, writing and community-minded—and led—relationship development in a number of legal traditions.
Pro-Bono Students Canada
- Shelby Reed
