A2J Week 2025: Access to Justice through Art and Media

Quinn Saretsky, Gladue Writer, At the Root Consulting

Quinn has been working and volunteering in community-based organizations locally and nationally for eighteen (18) years. She is of mixed Anishinaabe and Métis ancestry, with ancestral, family, and ceremonial ties to Sagkeeng First Nation and the Métis communities of Grand Marais and Traverse Bay. Quinn holds a Masters’ Degree in Indigenous Governance from the University of Victoria which focused on the political, legal, economic, and social implications of colonialism and criminalization on Indigenous peoples, including a Directed Readings in Law that focused on the implications of legislating Restorative Justice practices in Manitoba. Quinn is a writer of private Gladue reports and currently works as a consultant providing anti-racist and decolonial policy reviews, report writing, and workshops for community organizations and has taught as a sessional instructor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba on the impacts of colonialism and social policy on Indigenous peoples and other communities who face systemic discrimination. Quinn has been invited to present on numerous panels, both locally and nationally, with respect to alternatives to custodial sentences, as well as appropriate practices for Indigenous program development. In 2023, Quinn was appointed to a three (3) year term as a community representative on the University of Winnipeg’s Human Research Ethics Board, providing oversight on research projects with Indigenous peoples and racialized communities.

Jessie Canard, Law student, University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law

Jessica Canard is a two-spirit Anishinaabe multi-disciplinary visual artist and law student. They were born and are currently based in Winnipeg, Manitoba but their community is Sagkeeng First Nation. Jessica’s work explores themes of identity, land, and cultural reclamation through vibrant, visual storytelling. Rooted in community and tradition, Jessica brings a powerful Indigenous lens to both their creative practice and academic journey. Currently a third-year law student at Robson Hall, they are committed to advancing Indigenous sovereignty and justice, weaving together art and advocacy in transformative ways.

Allison Fenske, Clinical Counsel, University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law

Allison Fenske is Clinical Counsel at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law and Director of the University of Manitoba Community Law Centre – a long-standing partnership with Legal Aid Manitoba providing law students with the opportunity to represent individuals who would not otherwise receive legal aid. Recently, the UMCLC launched Manitoba’s first Prison Law Clinic.

Called to the bar in 2008, Allison has appeared at all levels of court and before a variety of administrative tribunals. Her legal work has focused on defending and advancing the rights of people and communities marginalized through state and systemic oppression.

Marc Kruse, Director of Indigenous Legal Learning and Services, University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law

Marc Kruse, JD, is the Director of Indigenous Legal Learning and Services at Robson Hall. He is also an associate with Rees Dyck Rogala Law Offices, where he practices criminal defence representing youth and adult clients. His research interests focus on the relationship between philosophical ethics, political philosophy, and law, with special focus on the ways educational institutions can ameliorate or exacerbate legal problems.

Kirsten Wurmann, Manitoba Law Library, Manitoba Library Association

Kirsten Wurmann is a librarian, an art lover, a walker, and a former hostel owner. She is passionate about social justice and creating access to information for all. To that end, she has volunteered inside carceral institutions for 17 years, and is the founder of the Manitoba Library Association – Prison Libraries Committee.