496 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 79 PART 4 JULY 2021
Ardith was trained since childhood in the peacekeeping traditions of the
Nlaka’pamux people. Her curiosity about what motivates people, what they
care about, is essential to understanding others. She is bi-juridical, with
experience in Indigenous legal systems and over 20 years practising Canadian
law. Ardith co-edited a book, Box of Treasures or Empty Box? Twenty
Years of Section 35, exploring the legacy of s. 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
Drawing from values that contributed to her community’s radical
resilience, she learned that her craft was the power that comes from dedication
and striving for excellence. Witnessing how we have the power to
determine how we experience life after trauma, Ardith chose compassion,
humour, optimism, intuition, curiosity and self-expression.
Her family valued education. Ardith earned a bachelor of arts degree
from McGill University and a law degree and a master’s degree in Indigenous
law from UBC, where she also taught in the Faculty of Law. She is currently
enrolled in a Ph.D. program focusing on ways of incorporating
Indigenous laws into criminal and family law decision making. Ardith articled
at Mandell Pinder, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (“UBCIC”) and
McDonald and Associates before being called to the bar in 1996.
Ardith has owned and operated her own law firm for decades and was a
partner at Cedar and Sage in Chilliwack with her partner in life and law,
Halie Bruce. They have two daughters. Being hockey and soccer moms has
opened up times of pure joy. As a family, they laugh a lot, explore the world
and focus on what is important: love and support and the way we connect
with one another. Their travel often includes international forays to watch
soccer matches.
Ardith’s legal practice focused on working with individuals and peoples
who feel disempowered within our legal system. This has included Indigenous
communities, individual harvesters (hunters or fishers charged criminally),
and parents and communities in the child welfare system. Through
her broader policy work, she sought to empower and give voice to the traditionally
disempowered. She worked on Indigenous women’s issues for
Indigenous organizations, recognizing that a gendered analysis of law and
policy is necessary to achieving fairness. Her core belief is that freedom
from discrimination is a cornerstone of access to justice. Human rights, at
their core, are about inclusion and honouring the dignity and uniqueness of
others. In 2019, she was commissioned by the BC Human Rights Tribunal to
produce a report on Indigenous peoples’ human rights titled Expanding Our
Vision: Cultural Equality & Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights.2 Her recommendations
are currently being implemented.
In her practice, Ardith was both an advocate and an educator, bringing
the area of Indigenous law into focus. The Supreme Court of Canada has