Representative Work
Counsel representing the Saugeen Ojibway Nation in its Aboriginal title claim to water and claim about the Crown’s fiduciary breach and failure to protect their land, in Saugeen First Nation v Canada, 2021 ONSC 4181 and currently before the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Represented Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in its intervention at the Supreme Court of Canada regarding the Crown’s fiduciary duty to protect Indigenous lands in Williams Lake Indian Band v Canada, 2018 SCC 4
Represented the Shibogama Tribal Council in its intervention at the Supreme Court regarding the protection of Indigenous sacred sites in Ktunaxa Nation v British Columbia, 2018 SCC 54
Represented the Chiefs of Ontario before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in litigation about remedies for Canada’s discrimination against First Nations children in child and family services in First Nations Child and Family Caring Society v Attorney General, 2018 CHRT 4.
Represented the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund in its intervention to combat discrimination under the Indian Act in Gehl v Canada, 2017 ONCA 319.
Publications and Media
- Renée Pelletier and Krista Nerland, “Indian Status and the Crisis of Missing and Murdered Women” in Key Developments in Aboriginal Law 2019. Thomas Isaac, Ed. (Toronto: Carswell, 2019)
- "TRC@1: The Canadian criminal justice system remains an obstacle to reconciliation", OKT Blog, June 2, 2016
- "Supreme Court says federal government has legislative power over the Métis and non-status Indians", OKT Blog, April 14, 2016
Recent Articles

Consultation at the High End of the Spectrum: A Primer
What kind of cases require deep consultation?
The extent of consultation and accommodation required in a given case depends on the strength of the claim to an Aboriginal right, treaty…
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Significant Changes to Indian Status Rules to Address Discrimination against Indigenous Women
On August 15, 2019, significant changes came into force in the laws that govern “status” under the Indian Act.
What is status and why does it matter?“Status” is a…
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SCC says failure to create reserve a breach of fiduciary duty in divided decision
By Krista Nerland and Senwung Luk
This morning, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in Williams Lake Indian Band v. Canada, a case about the…
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