Val Napoleon

Val Napoleon is a Professor and holds the Law Foundation Chair of Indigenous Justice and Governance at the University of Victoria (UVic). She is from Treaty 8 territory in northeast British Columbia and is a member of Saulteau First Nation, as well as an adopted member of the Gitanyow (Gitksan) House of Luuxhon. Previously affiliated with the University of Alberta (cross-appointed in Native Studies and Law), she joined UVic's Faculty of Law in 2012.

Her education includes an LLB (2001) and PhD (2009) from UVic. Research focuses on Indigenous legal systems, governance, Indigenous feminisms, and methodologies. She leads the Indigenous Law Research Unit (ILRU), advancing initiatives like the JD/JID dual-degree program and partnerships with Indigenous communities. Current projects include water law, gender and Indigenous law, lands/resources governance, and human rights. She also teaches property law and critical restorative justice.

Notable initiatives: establishment of the National Centre for Indigenous Laws (opening 2025), international collaborations, and graduate student recruitment for water law research. Her work emphasizes decolonizing legal frameworks and community-based legal practices.