Book Review of Peace and Good Order: The Case for Indigenous Justice in Canada by Harold R. Johnson

Harold Johnson was a Cree lawyer, trapper, author, and storyteller from the Montreal Lake Cree Nation. He practiced as a criminal defence lawyer and then as a Crown prosecutor in my hometown of La Ronge, Saskatchewan. Peace and Good Order: The Case for Indigenous Justice in Canada (“Peace and Good Order”) is Harold’s resignation letter to the legal profession, apology for his participation in Canada’s criminal law system, and argument for Indigenous jurisdiction. It is, in part, an autobiographical account of his relationship to Canadian law as a Nehiyaw man. And it comes at a time when more and more Indigenous students are turning to Canadian law as a means to help their communities.