We recognize that working for Indigenous governments requires an understanding and deep respect for Indigenous knowledge, traditions, and values. To breathe life into our practice, we work closely with Indigenous governments to support the development and empowerment of Indigenous communities, which means engaging closely with community members, leadership, and other governments to strengthen self-governance and promote self-determination.

Services that we offer that support Nation building include:

• Drafting Constitutions, custom Membership Laws, and custom Election Laws
• Drafting and supporting Governance Laws and policies
• Creating culturally appropriate policies and programs, including Housing Policies and Human Resource Policies
• Bylaws under the Indian Act and the First Nations Fiscal Management Act
• Land Code development and implementation support
• Supporting economic self-sufficiency
• Preserving cultural heritage
• Self-governance laws, policies and initiatives

We offer legal support and advice to Indigenous governments and organizations related to employment relationships between employers and employees. Our lawyers have expertise in employment law as it applies to First Nations governments and their employees and work extensively with legislation affecting Indigenous peoples including the Canada Labour Code and applicable human rights legislation.

Our Services include:

• Employment contracts
• Workplace policies
• Providing summary advice and information on governing legislation
• Termination and severance
• Employment disputes, including unjust dismissals and wrongful terminations
• Ensuring compliance with applicable employment laws

We provide legal advice and advice to our clients who are signatories to the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management. This includes drafting services during the development and ratification of Land Codes, as well as legal support through the operational stage of implementation, lawmaking, and land and resource governance pursuant to the Nation’s Land Code. We pride ourselves on supporting Nations in managing their lands in a way that best reflects their traditions and values to best serve their specific community.

Services include:

• Community engagement and ratification of Laws
• Law and regulation drafting
• Land Code review and amendments

Our lawyers have experience working with First Nations and other Indigenous rights-holding groups to assert established Treaty Rights and to prove and assert Aboriginal Rights and Title through negotiation and litigation.

We work with our clients to ensure their rights are recognised and respected by providing the following services:

• Aboriginal title and rights negotiation and litigation
• Treaty negotiation and implementation
• Consultation and accommodation work, including regulatory hearings and processes
• Development of self-governance laws, policies, and initiatives

We work with Indigenous governments exercising their constitutional right to reclaim jurisdiction over Child and Family Services for their children, youth and families. We recognize the ongoing harms inherent in the child welfare system and support Indigenous governments and organizations pursuant to An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families, S.C. 2019, c. 24.

We provide support with:

• Accessing funding for child and family services
• Community engagement
• Section 20 notices
• Coordination Agreement Discussions
• Community-led development and drafting of culturally relevant child and family legislation

Specific claims provide First Nations the opportunity to settle historical grievances with Canada, and the process can be quicker and less costly for the Nations than litigation. As more Nations engage and advance claims, we are seeing more opportunities to develop unique claims, specific to each Nation.

Mack Law would be honoured to meet with you and your community to discuss your opportunities to develop a specific claim, or to answer any questions on the specific claims process and work with you to:

• Develop and submit claims
• Apply for research funding
• Liaise with historians and archivists
• Negotiate accepted claims
• Support litigation at the Specific Claims Tribunal

We have experience representing individuals and institutions in bringing and defending human rights complaints before the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal (BCHRT) and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) regarding all forms of discrimination. We support our clients by ensuing that our practice is trauma-informed.

Our services, include:

• Drafting complaints
• Providing summary advice and information
• Attending BCHRT hearings and mediations

We provide services for environmental law needs including regulatory matters and general advice on projects which may impact or impede on environmental legislation. We recognize the need for careful legal advice related to matters impacting the natural environment on Indigenous land by outside actors and can assist on projects that require careful navigation of environmental concerns.

Our services include:

• Drafting and development of environmental laws and policies
• Drafting and developing Consultation Protocols
• Providing summary advice on the legal environmental impacts of proposed development or activity