SR Vol 27 No 4, October 2009 - Nova Scotia Barristers' Society

The IB&M Initiative:Reflections on 20 yearsMichelle Williams-LordeAssistant Professor & DirectorIB&M Initiative, Dalhousie Law SchoolIwas asked to submit a briefarticle to the Society Recordhighlighting the 20 th Anniversaryof the Indigenous Blacks& Mi’kmaq (IB&M) Initiative atDalhousie Law School. Not longafter that request, Donald Marshall,Jr. passed away. I had hopedthat Mr. Marshall might be ableto attend our 20 th Anniversarycelebrations, however, we will stillinclude him by honouring hissacrifices and legacy.So upon reflection, andrereading the book JusticeDenied, the report ofthe Royal Commission onthe Donald Marshall, Jr.,Prosecution [Marshall Commission Report] and the 1990 SpecialEdition of the Micmac News, the original focus of this article changed.These sources provided a glimpse into the experiences of DonaldMarshall, Jr., a Mi’kmaq man who was wrongfully convicted of murderand imprisoned for 11 years; and Sanford (Sandy) Seale, a promisingyoung African Nova Scotian who was killed during the same initialincident. Both men were from loving and hard-working families.I cannot say with certainty whether the IB&M Initiative wouldhave been created were it not for the Marshall Commission. I cansay that Mr. Marshall’s experience and the resulting Commissioncontributed significantly to the development and ongoing supportof the IB&M Initiative. Recommendation 11 of the MarshallCommission Report states:We recommend that the Dalhousie Law School’s minority admissionsprogram for Micmacs and indigenous Blacks receive the financialsupport of the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia, and theNova Scotia Bar. 1Consequently, the IB&M Initiative collectively “stands on theshoulders” of Donald Marshall, Jr., Sandy Seale and the supportersand allies who continue to believe in justice.Dreamers ReachA painting entitled Dreamers Reach was commissioned in the earlydays of the IB&M Programme, as it was then known. The paintingwas created by First Nations artist Dwayne Dussome (“the Hunter”)and the accompanying plaque read in part:… Dreamers Reach is about people who hold the belief that theycan, and will, achieve the goals they set for themselves no matter1 Royal Commission on the Donald Marshall, Jr., Prosecution, Commissioners’Report, Vol. 1, Findings and Recommendations, 1989, at 154.how great the challenge. We must become as the characters inthe painting: rising up, facing the challenge head-on. Those thatgreet challenge with the determination to succeed are the onesthat become what they always believed they could be. Ultimately,it is for them that greatness begins in their own hearts with adream and a desire to reach for it…The Fall 1990 Edition of Hearsay indicates that the original paintingonce hung on the atrium wall of Dalhousie Law School, outside of thestudents’ lounge. As a result of various renovations over the years, thepainting ended up in a backroom and was recently rediscovered. Thevibrant image of the revived painting perhaps symbolizes a renewal aswe celebrate 20 years of IB&M success. In that same Hearsay article,then IB&M Director Wayne MacKay considered the success of theIB&M’s first year, concluding that the program was successful butalso that “what we mean by success for this kind of programme is farfrom clear.”20 years of successThere is no question that the IB&M Initiative has been tremendouslysuccessful by many measures. Perhaps the success is best illustrated bythe accomplishments and contributions of the over 110 law graduateswho entered Dalhousie Law School through the Initiative. Alumnipractice in all areas of law including Aboriginal law, tax, corporate,constitutional, criminal, environmental, family, human rights, andlabour and employment. They are in private practice, act as legalcounsel to First Nations, and practise within provincial and federallegal departments and legal aid offices. Some have clerked and pursuedacademic careers or serve as policy advisors combining law with otherdisciplines, while others have entered political life or branched outinto the arts.All of our alumni have their own unique histories and experiencesthat are linked to their communities. As such, they make the legalprofession more representative of the people it serves and the legalprofession more racially diverse. They give back to their communitiesand to the legal profession through serving on boards and committees,developing organizations and volunteering in other ways. Many ofour alumni have chosen to address issues of concern to First Nationsand African Canadians. All alumni are points of access to law for theircommunities, serving as sources of legal information, representation,role models and mentors.Despite the success of our graduates, stereotypes and myths aboutthe IB&M Initiative remain. It bears repeating that students who arerecruited to Dalhousie Law School through the IB&M Initiative jointhe regular first-year class, write the same exams, complete the samework and earn the same LL.B. degree as all other students at DalhousieLaw School. While at the Law School, Black and Aboriginal studentsmake an extraordinary contribution. Our alumni include threevaledictorians, two Law Society Presidents and six recipients of theDavid Jones Memorial Award, bestowed by the graduating class uponOctober 2009 33