New exhibit on Wilton Littlechild

by: Caroline Tucker, Law Library Work Study Student

As of May 2025, a new exhibit has been installed in the lobby of the Diana M. Priestly Law Library, providing a glimpse into the life and work of Cree Chief, lawyer, and Indigenous rights activist, Wilton Littlechild. The display brings together letters, notes, and documents from Littlechild’s thirty-plus year career, courtesy of UVic Libraries Special Collections & University Archives, as well as books from the law library’s shelves.

Taking a read over archival materials, you will notice documents from Littlechild’s early law days — annotated articles, hand-written notes, and highlighted textbooks that can be found in the UVic Libraries' collection. These materials — spanning the late 1970s — provide context for Littlechild’s trip to London, England in the early 1980s, where he, as a representative of the Four Nations of Maskwacîs, lobbied for the entrenchment of Treaty rights in Canada’s patriated constitution.

In this exhibit, we explore Littlechild’s instrumental role in the formation of the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). On display are draft UNDRIP paragraphs, news articles, and letters from Littlechild, illustrating his ongoing efforts to assert the inherent right of self-determination and Treaty rights for Indigenous peoples. These documents span the tireless work undertaken throughout the 1980s and 1990s, leading up to UNDRIP’s adoption in 2007.

Given the scope of the J. Wilton Littlechild fonds — 39 boxes donated by Littlechild, himself — this display provides only a taste of his work. Not explored in this exhibition is Littlechild’s advocacy for Indigenous participation and empowerment in athletics, as well as his role as a member of parliament. If you are interested in learning more, please scan the QR code attached to the exhibit and explore the online discovery tool for his personal collection.

Accompanying Littlechild’s personal materials, several books are displayed on the shelves nearby, all relating back to UNDRIP, treaty rights, self-determination, and Indigenous rights more broadly. We hope Littlechild’s legacy, as depicted through this exhibit, inspires you to contribute your knowledge and efforts to the ongoing fight for the empowerment of Indigenous peoples.