Dr. Alan Hanna

Biography

Alan Hanna is an Associate Professor at the University of Victoria Faculty of Law, specializing in Indigenous legal orders, contract law, and Aboriginal law. His teaching and research interests focus on Indigenous laws, governance, rights, title, and environmental sustainability. He emphasizes the importance of Indigenous legal traditions and jurisprudence, particularly in terms of agreements and obligations arising from Indigenous legal perspectives. In his courses, including Transsystemic Contracts and Law 350I, Professor Hanna engages students with examples from diverse Indigenous legal contexts, fostering a dialogue with conventional contract law principles. He has also taught on Aboriginal Lands and Rights, bringing practical experience from his previous work in Aboriginal law at Woodward & Company Lawyers LLP. His PhD research involved a detailed analysis of Tsilhqot’in traditional laws relating to water access, which contributes to current watershed governance practices. A member of the mixed Métis - French/Cree - Scottish community, he is closely connected to the Northern Secwepemc community of T’exelc. Professor Hanna is actively involved in supervising graduate students in Indigenous-related projects, both domestically and internationally. He has published extensively on Indigenous legal issues, showcasing his commitment to advancing the understanding of these vital areas within Canadian law.

Research Interests

Courses