Justice in the Words of Elders: Stories, Teachings and Wisdom on Unceded Coast Salish Territory

This thesis highlights justice in the words of Indigenous Elders living on Unceded Coast Salish Territory. Multiple interviews were held with four Indigenous Elders from four different nations to obtain their perspective on current justice issues affecting today’s Aboriginal people/s within the Canadian urban context of Vancouver, British Columbia. Although the core data for this thesis involved extensive interviewing of each Elder, the methodology also sought to understand "justice" through a two-eyed seeing lens that embraced both Indigenous and western approaches to knowledge. Interviews gave Elders an opportunity to share the work each has done to find justice in their personal and professional lives. These were supplemented by participating in culturally-driven justice sites as guided by one Elder-Mentor who sought to demonstrate justice experientially. This Elder’s journey to embody justice through traditional values, ceremony, and advocacy work serves as one of the central voices in this exploration of justice.