Indigenous law is a complex area that encompasses issues concerning First Nations, Metis and Inuit people and their relationship with governments, rights to land, rights to tradition and rights to self-government. In this guide, you will find resources available in our library, as well as links to external resources that are key to understanding this area of law.
Texts
- Aboriginal & treaty rights practice (available online) by Mary Locke Macaulay. Table of Contents
- Aboriginal law, 6th ed. by Thomas Isaac. Table of Contents.
- Aboriginal law handbook, 5th ed. by Olthuis Kleer Townshend. Table of Contents
- Aboriginal law in Canada (available online) by Jack Woodward. Table of Contents
- Aboriginal legal issues : cases, materials and commentary, 5th ed. by John Borrows. Table of Contents
- Aboriginal peoples and the law : a critical introduction by Jim Reynolds. Table of Contents
- Elements of Indigenous style : a guide for writing by and about Indigenous peoples, 2nd ed. by Gregory Younging. Table of Contents.
- Indigenous peoples and the law in Canada: cases and commentary. Table of Contents
- Constitutional law of Canada, (available online) 5th ed. by Peter W. Hogg. Table of Contents
- Indigenous peoples atlas of Canada. Table of Contents
- Indigenous people and the criminal justice system: a practitioner’s handbook, (available online) 2nd ed. by Jonathan Rudin. Table of Contents
- Law of indigenous ownership and projects by Thomas Isaac & Jeremy Barretto. Table of Contents.
- Metis – Crown relations : rights, identity, jurisdiction and governance by Frederica Wilson & Melanie Mallet. Table of Contents
- Key developments in Aboriginal law by Thomas Isaac. Table of Contents
Last revised Apr. 24, 2025
Alberta Courts
Resources:
Last revised May 22, 2024
Case Law
For more information on finding case see our research guide: Finding and Researching Cases.
The Canadian abridgment available on: Westlaw Canada
All Canadian summaries, Canadian case summaries and Canada digest are available on: Lexis Advance® Quicklaw®
A collection of judgments of the Alberta Courts is available from CanLII. The scope of coverage varies by jurisdiction and court. The official version of the reasons for judgment is the signed original or handwritten endorsement in the court file. If there is a question about the content of a judgment, the original court file takes precedence.
Legislation
For a complete list of Federal acts and regulations that directly impact First Nations, Inuit, and Métis see:
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
- First Nations Gazette First Nation laws, by-laws, land codes, and other First Nation legislation
All Federal Acts and Regulations can be found electronically at:
- Treaties, Laws and Regulations
- Treaties and Agreements – Historic and modern Canadian Treaties
- Treaty Texts
Encyclopedias
Canadian encyclopedic digest (C.E.D.) (Western), (available online) 4th ed.
Sections relevent to aboriginal law include:
- Aboriginal law
- Constitutional law
This multi-volume set which includes coverage of Federal, Provincial & Territorial legislation. It explains the legislation and cases which govern Indigenous law issues in every jurisdiction in Canada.
Titles related to Indigenous law include:
Additional information may be found under other topical headings.
Also available online through: LexisAdvance Quicklaw
Journals
- Justice as healing : a newsletter on aboriginal concepts of justice
- Index to Canadian legal literature (ICLL) (available online)
- Current index to legal periodicals (available online)
Additional full-text articles are available online through:
- vLex Justis
- Lexis Advance® Quicklaw®
- Westlaw Canada – contains a collection of Canadian journals and law reviews, as well as all articles and case comments appearing in Carswell law reports.
- HeinOnline – provides full-text access to Canadian and international law reviews and legal journals.
Websites
- BearPaw Legal Education and Resource Centre
- Centre for First Nations Governance
- Delagamuukw Aboriginal Land Title Case Research Guide
- First Nations – Library and Archives
- Gladue Rights Research Database
- Gladue Primer
- Indigenous Law Centre – University of Saskatchewan
- Indigenous Studies Research Portal – University of Saskatchewan
- Indigenous Law Portal
- Indigenous Services Canada
- Metis Settlement Appeal Tribunal
- National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
- Native Counselling Services of Alberta
- Native Law Centre – Legal Pleadings
- Royal Commission on Aboriginal People
- Specific Claims Tribunal Canada
- Treaties with Indigenous Peoples in Canada – Canadian Encyclopedia
Last revised May 22, 2024
Disclaimer: As law librarians, we are pleased to provide you this resource for information and research purposes only – It is not a substitute for professional legal advice. We strive to bring you quality and current information in this resource, but we make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, accessibility, adequacy, or completeness of the information presented here. The sources featured are selected based on professional assessment and opinion, and do not constitute an endorsement, editorial, review, or guarantee.