To promote the cultivation of legal talents with an international perspective, on June 15, 2026, Francine Merasty, Director of Merasty Law in Canada, was invited to attend the "Foreign-Related Legal Forum" at the School of Law (School of Foreign-Related Rule of Law) of Nanjing Normal University. Director Francine Merasty delivered an academic lecture "Tracing the Legal Landscape: Treaties, the Indian Act, and Canada, 150 Years" in Room 434 of Xingmin Building, sharing insights with faculty and students. The lecture was hosted by Professor ZHANG Peng, Vice Dean of the School of Foreign-Related Legal Studies.
Before the report began, Secretary GU Meihong of the Law School warmly welcomed Director Francine Merasty and presented her with the appointment letter as an international lecturer and a special advisor for the School of Foreign-Related Rule of Law. She sincerely invited Director Francine Merasty to further expand cooperation with more Canadian scholars and practitioners in areas such as training talent in foreign-related rule of law, Canadian legal studies, and comparative law research.
Director Francine Merasty began her report by explaining the history of the Canadian federal government signing land treaties with Indigenous peoples to expand westward. Those treaties form the foundation of legal, political, and cultural relationships between the Canadian government and Indigenous people. In 1876, Canada passed the Indian Act, which became the core legal framework for Indigenous governance. With the introduction of the 2025 Canada Free Trade and Labor Mobility Act and the Build Canada Act, Canada recognized the jurisdiction of Indigenous tribes over child and family services, allowing different tribes to develop their own policies. At the same time, Director Merasty noted that while these laws help reduce discrimination against Indigenous peoples, financial constraints and conflicts of rights limit their implementation. There could also be potential tensions with Indigenous family cultures.
This forum is a practical move by the School of Law (School of Foreign-Related Rule of Law) at Nanjing Normal University to promote the training of international law talents, as well as human rights education and research, puting new momentum to international law research and human rights work.