Douglas Sanderson - Amo Binashii

Douglas Sanderson - Amo Binashii is Beaver Clan from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. He was managing editor of the inaugural edition of the Indigenous Law Journal in 2002 while a student at the University of Toronto’s JD program.  He went on to earn his LL.M from Columbia University as a Fulbright Scholar. From 2004 to 2007, he was senior advisor to the Government of Ontario, first in the Office of the Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs (now the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation), and later, to the Attorney General. 

Sanderson has been teaching at the University of Toronto since 2009. He currently holds the Prichard-Wilson Chair in Law and Public Policy and serves as the decanal advisor on Indigenous issues.  

Sanderson has combined his love and commitment to Indigenous communities in Canada with his intellectual strengths and consensus-building skills to become an advocate for First Peoples. His long history of involvement in human rights, and in particular, significant reforms to Ontario’s human rights system (Human Rights Code Amendment Act, 2007), were recognized in 2021 when Sanderson was honoured with the Ludwik and Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize.  

In 2022, Sanderson received the University of Toronto President’s Impact Award, which recognizes substantial contributions beyond the academy and within popular culture. 

The recipient of multiple honours and awards, Sanderson co-authored his 2022 book Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, A White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation with former student Andrew Stobo Sniderman to national acclaim and awards.