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Kristan Belanger (BA ’19, JD ’22, MI ’25) joined the Schulich School of Law in September 2025 in the role of Instruction & Public Services Librarian at the .

Belanger, who grew up in the Annapolis Valley and is a member of Glooscap First Nation in Nova Scotia, serves as a reference librarian supporting students’ research needs and contributing to scholarship in Indigenous law librarianship. She also teaches one section of Legal Research and Writing at Schulich Law and is a research lead with the .

Tell us about your academic and legal background.

My academic journey at º£½ÇÉçÇøapp has been shaped by a growing commitment to understanding the relationship between law, culture, and community. It began with my undergraduate degree in Political Science and Chinese Studies in 2019, which taught me how systems of power operate across different cultural contexts. In 2022, I completed my Juris Doctor with a certificate in Indigenous Law, which pushed me to think critically about how colonial structures function and how Indigenous legal orders continue to assert their own authority and integrity. Most recently, I earned a Master of Information with a Certificate in Librarianship in 2025, which strengthened my dedication to creating accessible, community-centred approaches to legal information, particularly for Indigenous laws.

I’ve also held various research assistantships, the most meaningful of which was with the law school’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Committee. Over the past three years, I have served as the research lead with the Lnuwey Tplutaqan Wikuom while simultaneously working with the Department of Canadian Heritage’s International Copyright team, later renamed the Protection and Promotion of Indigenous Arts and Cultural Heritage team.

What drew you to this field and this position?

My interest in law began early. Growing up, I was inspired by the legal speakers who visited my community and helped me see that law could be used not only to understand power, but to shift it.

Over time, my academic study of law and my personal understanding of colonial power structures deepened that drive. I learned firsthand how important it is to be able to move within these systems, while also advocating for the space and recognition of Indigenous law.

My work with the Wikuom made the need for my current role clear. As a unit, we identified a significant gap in support for Indigenous law within the legal information landscape in the Atlantic provinces. Stepping into this position felt like a natural extension of that realization and a way to help build what had been missing.

What does your role entail and how does it support the Schulich Law community?

My role lives at the intersection of librarianship, teaching, and Indigenous legal research. I see each of those aspects as a way to make the Schulich Law community more supported and more connected.

A significant part of my work focuses on ensuring that Indigenous law has a meaningful and visible presence in the library, physically, intellectually, and relationally. That includes everything from building collections to building relationships with community.

Within the school, I work as a reference librarian supporting students’ research needs while contributing to scholarship in Indigenous law librarianship. I also teach one section of Legal Research and Writing. Through the Wikuom, my work centres on Indigenous legal research with a focus on supporting communities in their research needs.

These two sides of my role inform and strengthen each other – the library work supports the infrastructure and the Wikuom work supports the substantive development of Indigenous legal knowledge.

How did you become involved with the Lnuwey Tplutaqan Wikuom?

Throughout law school, I found myself continually drawn to Indigenous law – its clarity, its sense of order in the face of a legal system that often imposes disorder on Indigenous peoples, and the way it embodies good governance in a grounded and relational way.

I first worked with Professor Naiomi Metallic as a research assistant when I was studying for my BA. Her mentorship had a strong influence on the direction of my work. As we continued to work together, it became increasingly clear that there was a real need for an academic Indigenous legal research unit in Atlantic Canada and, eventually, we built the Wikuom.

What will creating an Indigenous space in the library look like?

Creating a space for Indigenous law in the library involves both collection development and thoughtful physical design. On the collection side, it means ensuring that Indigenous law is represented robustly, respectfully, and accessibly.

Physically, the goal is to create a holistic representation of Indigenous law, one that honours Indigenous knowledge systems, aesthetics, and practices. This includes incorporating elements such as star maps on the ceiling, Indigenous artwork and craft represented as material legal resources, and ensuring the space can accommodate ceremony.

Ultimately, my goal is to build a space where Indigenous legal orders are not confined to textbooks but are recognized as living, breathing, and deeply connected to community.

What do you hope to accomplish in this role?

I want to help create a law library where Indigenous students feel they belong – where the space reflects us and our legal orders. That means ensuring that Indigenous law is not an afterthought, but woven into the library’s design, collections, and everyday activities.

I also want to strengthen awareness and understanding of Indigenous law across our faculty and student body and help people feel confident engaging with it. Ultimately, I want the library to be a place where Indigenous law feels present, respected, and alive.
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