The HRLSC recognizes the particular history and disadvantage of Ontario’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The HRLSC established an Indigenous Services and Outreach Committee and has implemented culturally appropriate service guidelines in order to increase usage of the human rights system by Indigenous peoples.
Land and Treaty Acknowledgement
The HRLSC provides services throughout Ontario and has lawyers located in Toronto, Guelph, Hamilton, London, Thunder Bay, and Windsor. Accordingly, we acknowledge our presence on the traditional territories of the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and Anishinaabeg, Attawandaron and Leni-Lunaape, the Métis homeland and particularly the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The place now called Ontario is home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and operate in this land.
The HRLSC also recognizes and acknowledges we are in the territory subject to the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Anishinaabeg and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the land and waters of the Great Lakes region.
Contact Us
Indigenous Services staff members can be reached by calling the HRLSC and following the prompts.
Tel: (416) 597-4900
Toll Free: 1-866-625-5179
TTY: please dial 711
You will need to press 4 to reach the Indigenous Service intake staff.
On this page:
About ISOC
The Human Rights Legal Support Centre recognizes that Indigenous peoples have not traditionally used the human rights process. There are many valid reasons for this, including the legitimate concern that raising a human rights matter as an Indigenous person may produce a disproportionate and intensely negative local reaction that could have an impact on other Indigenous persons in the community.
The HRLSC is committed to providing Indigenous people with an accessible legal service. Services are provided in 140 languages including Cree, Oji-Cree, Mohawk, and Ojibway. Have someone who speaks English call us, or let us know at the start of your call, and we will arrange to speak with you in the language of your choice at no cost to you. If requested by you, you can talk to one of the HRLSC’s Indigenous legal staff at any level.
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario: An Accessible Forum for Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism
Anti-Indigenous racism is a reality in many towns, cities and is experienced by First Nations communities across Ontario. Many Indigenous individuals are faced with discriminatory treatment on the job, in housing, or while accessing public services. In those circumstances, there is a human right to be free from discrimination.
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) is a provincial administrative tribunal that resolves claims of discrimination and harassment brought under the Ontario Human Rights Code (the provincial law that prohibits discrimination). The HRTO has the power to hold employers, landlords, and service providers accountable and may compensate people for the injury caused to them from their discriminatory experience. The HRTO can also award broader systemic remedies such as human rights training or the development of a human rights policy.
NEW: OHRC Guides on Anti-Indigenous Discrimination in Retail Settings
Read the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Guide to identifying and addressing anti-Indigenous discrimination in retail settings.
Supplementary Guides:
- A fact sheet for rights-holders: Recognizing anti-Indigenous discrimination and harassment in retail settings.
- A fact sheet for duty-holders: Preventing anti-Indigenous discrimination and harassment in retail setting.
10 Year Anniversary of the Indigenous Services and Outreach Committee
In October 2020, our Indigenous Services and Outreach Committee celebrated its 10th anniversary! It was an opportunity for HRLSC to look back at the hard work that made ISOC what it is today and to build on that vision and carry it forward for years to come.