Pearl, who is Nēhiyaw (Plains-Cree) from One Arrow First Nation, grew up in Saskatoon’s core neighborhoods. She spent summers on reserve with family, where she participated in ceremonies and many communities social gatherings.
After completing a BA in Anthropology from the University of Saskatchewan, Pearl went on to earn her JD and LLM from the same institution. She is now undertaking a PhD in Law at the University of Ottawa.
As an assistant professor, Pearl plans to educate law students on how Indigenous peoples are directly affected by Canadian laws — but she will also challenge the dominant settler colonial framework of Canada’s legal curriculum by incorporating her research focus on “anti-dominance training.”
“For me the most specific issue that needs the most attention right now is reconciliation,” said Pearl. “Anti-dominance means to challenge deeply rooted narratives of settler-colonial dominance in law schools, which I believe is an effective prerequisite for meaningful and mutual reconciliation, which is the focus of my research.”
Sophie Theriault, her co-supervisor, is thrilled that she will be joining the Alberta faculty to advance her important work.
“Tamara’s trailblazing research and practices in anti-dominance and transsystemic pedagogies for teaching Indigenous laws is highly relevant and timely for law schools to advance in the path of reconciliation, “said Theriault.
Congratulations, Tamara!