Kawaskimhon

Aboriginal Moot 2003 - Day one at the table:
presenting factums. Hosted by McGill University,
March 2003.

The Aboriginal Rights Moot

The Kawaskimhon (speaking with knowledge) Aboriginal Rights Moot is a culturally sensitive national forum where issues regarding aboriginal rights are debated by aboriginal students from across Canada. Kawaskimhon is a great opportunity for aboriginal and non-aboriginal students to speak to issues of Aboriginal rights.

Kawaskimhon is hosted each year by a different law school. The first Kawaskimhon was held in 1994 and 1995 at the University of Toronto. In 1996 the University of British Columbia hosted this event at the First Nations House of Learning. In 2001/2002 Ottawa hosted the event, and in 2002/2003 McGill University were hosts to 13 teams from across Canada.

This event is a two day forum. On the first day participants present oral arguments based on written submitted factums. At the end of the first day the host law school prepares a cultural night which includes a banquet, singers, and dancers. Kawaskimhon participants are required to reach concensus on the mooted problems by the end of the second day. Issues such as band membership rights, territorial overlaps, the effects of hydro projects on Indian lands, Metis rights and aboriginal heritage have been addressed by participants in previous moots.

The moot team consists of two to four members. The moot problem is selected by the host law school and handed out in December. The moot team meets weekly during January and February, and factums are due 6-8 weeks after the problem is assigned by the host law school. Students will be assessed for a pass/fail mark based on their research, written factums, and oral presentations at Kawaskimhon.
The moot is worth 5 credits.