Ottawa's first Indigenous Peoples Court will launch on Sept. 11, an attempt to fix a criminal system that, for decades, has too often worked terribly for native populations.



The sober atmosphere at the Elgin Street courthouse was interrupted Friday afternoon by native singing, drumming and praying in the atrium, part of an hour-long ceremony to mark the milestone. As the smell of burning sage and sweetgrass wafted through the heart of the building, curious court staffers leaned on railings in the upper floors to catch a glimpse of the event.



The court is the culmination of five years of work by a committee of judges, lawyers and advocates to try to reverse the trend that has seen hugely disproportionate numbers of Indigenous people land in court and prison.



"Absolutely," responded Ontario Court Justice Celynne Dorval, who will sit on the court, and is a leading supporter. "We do believe this will reduce recidivism."



The Supreme Court of Canada has established principles for sentencing Indigenous offenders in the landmark Gladue case, which require lower courts to investigate and take into account a person's background, especially involvement in residential schools or other cultural trauma.



"The court's objective is simple," Dorval told dozens of people filling the atrium, including police Chief Charles Bordeleau.



"To create a process that is culturally meaningful to Indigenous peoples and to provide culturally appropriate information gathering and support services in order to implement the principles established by the Supreme Court of Canada at the bail stage and the sentencing stage."



Any time the court sits, she added, it will feature an eagle feather and satchels of four sacred medicines. Sentencing circles may also be involved.



"The need for the Indigenous Peoples Court is obvious and undeniable," said deputy Crown attorney Brian Holowka.



"Everyone here is aware of the shocking numbers. Indigenous people make up 4.3 per cent of the population, yet they represent more than 20 per cent of inmates."



He also pointed out that Ottawa has a sizeable and growing native population and the largest number of urban Inuit outside the North. "There remains a world of work to go, but this court will put us on the right track."



At sentencing, a person who identifies as Indigenous is entitled to ask for a Gladue report, which requires a worker to delve into their background to look for systemic factors such as forced re-settlement, the trauma of residential schools and resulting broken families, addiction and mental health issues.



This new court will have dedicated workers who will help offenders during the bail process, at sentencing and in connecting with resources in the community.



"Tremendous, tremendous," was the reaction from Frank Horn, a Mohawk and lawyer who has practised for 35 years.



"When an Aboriginal confronts the white man's judicial system, he's broken because they don't understand him. He gets relegated to the sidelines. This is an attempt to make him whole again."



The court will begin by sitting half-days, twice a week. It will deal with bail hearings and sentencing on guilty pleas, but not take on trials. Court time may expand as the need arises. A number of judges are expected to rotate through the court. Much of the struggle since 2012 has been lining up enough resources to make the court function.



"Seeing this day finally arrive in Ottawa is very satisfying," said Anne London-Weinstein, president of the Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa.



"It's a day to celebrate. It's a day to be happy."



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