Artsci student committed to making meaningful change

In Global Challenges Inquiry (ARTSSCI 1C06), as in several courses within the interdisciplinary Arts & Science curriculum, students examine the causes, implications, and intersections of some of the most pressing sociopolitical challenges affecting the world.

Participating in such classes during his first year in the program, Artsci student Aaron Mohanathas felt compelled to make a difference. “I wanted to contribute to the progress we talked about in class, not behind a computer but in the world, where I would be uncomfortable, able to grow from daily interactions, and involved in the issues as they happen,” Aaron explains.

Combining his academic interests in the Canadian justice system and Indigenous sovereignty with his desire to make positive change, Aaron spent the summer of 2025 working as an intern with the Community Justice Program run by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.

Over the course of the four-month internship (May to August), Aaron learned from and worked closely with the Community Justice Program team, including Gladue writers, youth reintegration workers, and family service providers. He primarily shadowed and collaborated with Indigenous Court Workers who implement culturally appropriate, community-led approaches to justice. Aaron’s work included assisting with case preparation, client advocacy, and inter-agency collaboration within the Ontario, Quebec, and New York State court systems. He also observed and supported the coordination of culturally appropriate support services for Indigenous clients navigating the criminal justice system, including guidance on court procedures and access to legal resources.

When attending court hearings and trials, Aaron made detailed case notes and communicated key developments to ensure clarity, shared understanding, and informed participation among all legal parties. He was grateful for the opportunity to support the communication between defendants and legal actors, while seeing first-hand how justice programs rooted in Indigenous knowledge promote accountability, healing, and equity in ways that extend beyond colonial legal frameworks.

A particularly significant moment within the summer internship for Aaron was the National Indigenous Peoples Day Event at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre. He and the team from the Community Justice Program met with close to fifty Indigenous people experiencing incarceration and shared traditional foods, listened to Mohawk teachings, and participated in ceremonies. “Being able to support people who had gone months without seeing grass and even longer without cultural immersion was shocking, but also motivating,” says Aaron. “This level of involvement made me feel more secure about my purpose in such places as a student and aspiring advocate.”

Another experience that stood out to Aaron was participating in Restorative Justice Circles, in which he learned how to facilitate and document dispute resolution practices that promote healing and accountability in alignment with Mohawk principles. Aaron said his experiences working with the Community Justice Program deepened his understanding of how Indigenous legal traditions and restorative justice practices intersect with social support systems to foster rehabilitation.

Looking back now, Aaron feels there was a series of steps that led him to the internship and helped prepare him to engage meaningfully in it. Learning about Indigenous justice systems and Indigenous judicial issues in the Contemporary Indigenous Studies course (ARTSSCI 1AA3) was one important piece of the process. He was also able to seek advice and find inspiration by participating in Artsci programming, such as the New World of Work Series, that connects alumni and current students. “If I hadn’t gone to the New World of Work Series event [in Fall 2024], I wouldn’t have met Shruti Ramesh (Artsci 2017), Legal Counsel with the Indigenous Justice Division at Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General,” Aaron says. Similarly, he notes, “if I hadn’t participated in the Artsci Mentorship Program and met with a range of Artsci alumni, I may have felt too unqualified to even reach out about and initiate the internship.”

Furthermore, he says the internship was very “Artsci” in spirit, which gave him the opportunity to draw on the knowledge and the range of skills he gained from his first year in the Arts & Science Program. “Throughout all my ARTSSCI classes, such as Global Challenges Inquiry, Practices of Knowledge, and Argumentation, I developed many transferable skills, and I had to put them all into practice at the same time during my summer work.”

At the end of the internship, Aaron returned to the Arts & Science Program feeling empowered. “I want to become more educated about a range of topics I didn’t even know existed in high school, so that one day, I can hopefully take on a career that’s as meaningful and innovative as the work I was a part of this summer,” says Aaron.

Now in his second year of the Arts & Science program, Aaron is grateful for how the knowledge and experience he gained in Indigenous justice and minority rights have helped inform the way he pursues his Artsci education and path forward. Recently, this has looked like enrolling in courses ranging from Ojibwe to Bioethics, as well as staying connected with Artsci alumni involved in Indigenous law and community empowerment.

As a Research Assistant with The Office of Community Engagement at McMaster University, Aaron is also contributing to the development of a new course that will draw on research and experiential learning to familiarize students with food (in)security and community gardening. Aaron is also on the executive team of the McMaster Student Union’s Food Collective Centre, where he organizes monthly food preparation and dietary health-related tutorials.

As we continue to navigate a fractured and unjust world, Aaron remains committed to doing what he can to make meaningful change. And he has an important message to share. He says, “I have realized as an Artsci and McMaster student that there are so many bright people who want to do good but feel demotivated by the scale of systematic and historical issues affecting us. However, every individual’s dedication to what they believe in creates a little progress, even if it is hard to see at first, and it’s important to remember how the risks we take as students open infinite possibilities for advocacy and learning.”