Indigenous ethnies and Nations

Sara Mainville, LLM

Sara Mainville is a Partner at the law firm OKT.

Sara works with First Nations as legal counsel, strategic advisor and negotiator. She has been called to the Ontario bar since 2005.

Sara Mainville has a Management degree (Lethbridge) and a LL.B. (Queen’s).  She earned a LL.M (Toronto) and her thesis, “An Anishinaabe Perspective of Treaty #3” was the beginning of a lifetime of study by her regarding Treaty #3 and Indigenous jurisdiction’s important role in legally reconciling Indigenous sovereignty in Canada.

In 2014, Sara was elected Chief of Couchiching First Nation. During that term she ensured that the First Nation had strong policy going forward and she started the Wasaw group of companies.

Sara Mainville is also very proud of her participation in the negotiations that led to the creation of the First Nation Sovereign Wealth LP, a partnership of 129 First Nations in Ontario.  Sara was co-chair in the negotiations that resulted in the commercial transaction between the Province of Ontario and the First Nations of 14 million Hydro One shares and $29 million in seed capital to facilitate long-term wealth creation. 

Sara has advised First Nations on their own cannabis control laws in 2018 and 2019.  She is well regarded as a strategic thinker and negotiator and is often speaking at various conferences and First Nation forums about emerging legal issues.

Sara is listed as "Most Frequently Recommended" in Indigenous Law by Lexpert.

Indigenous ethnies and Nations

Sara Mainville will explain why “Indigenous” and other blanket terms are only the starting points of relationships with the Anishinaabe and other peoples we should all know in Canada. 

• A symbol of reconciliation should be that you know much more about Inuit, Metis, Anishinaabe, and other distinct Indigenous ethnies (cultural groups in Canada who have their own “creation stories”) and understand the importance of those creation stories to Canada’s own sustainability.
• More important, a real act of reconciliation is to renew the Nation-to-Nation relationship with important allies of the former British colony, including the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee confederacies that gathered for a treaty at Niagara in 1764.

Sara Mainville will explore this important legal history which is the actual “creation story” of Canada.  “Indian” “Native” “First Nations” “Aboriginal” and “Indigenous” are blanket terms that pose a barrier to true reconciliation.

 

 This event is part of the Fall 2021 Speaker series.