Delia Opekokew Explained

Delia Opekokew
Birth Place:Canoe Lake Reserve, Saskatchewan
Occupation:Lawyer
Known For:Indigenous Activism, Law
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Delia Opekokew is a Cree lawyer and writer from the Canoe Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada. She was the first First Nations woman lawyer to be admitted to the bar association in Ontario and in Saskatchewan,[1] as well as the first woman to run for the leadership of the Assembly of First Nations. Opekokew attended Beauval Indian Residential School and Lebret Indian Residential School. She has received awards for her achievements, including the Aboriginal Achievement Award, Women's Law Association of Ontario Presidents Award, Law Society of Ontario Medal, and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Lifetime Achievement Award.

Early life and education

A member of the Cree First Nation band, Delia Opekokew was born on the Canoe Lake Reserve in Northern Saskatchewan. Opekokew is the third of eight children born to her parents Marguerite and Jules Opekokew.[2] She lived on the Canoe Lake Reserve until age eight, when she attended the Beauval Indian Residential School, located on what is now the English River Dene Nation. It was not until her attendance at this school that Opekokew learned English, although she managed to maintain her knowledge of the Cree language as a student. Following elementary school, Opekokew moved to the Lebret Indian Residential School. where she completed her high school education. Opekokew attended both schools ten months a year, and only returned home during the holiday where, as the oldest daughter, Opekokew would primarily assist her mother in taking care of their large family. After completing her primary and secondary education, Opekokew pursued undergraduate studies at the University of Winnipeg, where she received a bursary for first year students with distinction, and in 1977 she graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto with a Bachelor of Laws.

Career

Early career

Her first job was as a clerk typist, with the province of Saskatchewan in the Agriculture Department.[3] In 1967 Opekokew then became the first woman to sit on the executive of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians as secretary. She then went on to work as an administrative assistance for Buffy Sainte-Marie in New York, before choosing to pursue her law career.[4]

Legal career

Following her graduation from law school, Opekokew was the first Indigenous woman admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1979 and to the Bar of Saskatchewan in 1983.[5] During law school she worked for a number of groups, such as the National Indian Brotherhood and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians.[6] From 1979 to 1980, as a partner at Zlotkin & Opekokew, she practiced civil and family law before acting as legal counsel to the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations from 1980 to 1985.[7] She later became an associate with Blaney, McMurty, and Stapells where she worked from 1985 to 1990.[7] Subsequently, she began practicing as a sole practitioner, with a specialization in Indigenous treaty rights and Aboriginal Law.[8] In 1992, Ms. Opekokew presided as one of three chairpeople on the commission of inquiry into the death of Leo Lachance in Royal Canadian Mounted Police v. Saskatchewan (Commission of Inquiry).[9] Opekokew also notably represented the Canoe Lake Cree Peoples in their successful land claim, and Anthony O’Brien “Dudley” George who was killed in the Ipperwash Crisis.[7] [10] Opekokew was responsible for researching Buffy Sainte-Marie's claims of Indigenous ancestry and provided a 1980 letter that advocated for Sainte-Marie to be given Canadian citizenship.[11]

Activism and Indigenous community involvement

In 1994 Opekokew became the first woman to run for Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations' 1994 leadership convention.[12] She lost to Ovide Mercredi. In July 1998 she returned to the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians as their general council.[13] She then proceeded to act as an adjudicator with the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Process (IRSAP), from 2004 to 2009. This was part of the larger Independent Assessment Process (IAP) under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA). Opekokew was promoted to Deputy Chief Adjudicator under IRSAP in 2009 and remained in this role until December 2017.[14] During her time as Deputy Chief Adjudicator Opekokew maintained her private practice in Saskatchewan.[15] She was also one of the vice-presidents of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association for several years.[16]

Awards

Publications

External links

Web site: First Nations lawyer in Ontario paving the way for Indigenous women. APTN News . 30 September 2018 . 18 June 2013.

Notes and References

  1. http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/opekokew_delia.html Delia Opekokew
  2. Book: Saskatchewan First Nations : lives past and present. 2004. Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. 9780889771611. 101–103. Delia Opekokew. 30 September 2018. https://books.google.com/books?id=Ji14s_ESoooC&dq=%22Delia+Opekokew%22&pg=PA101. Google Books preview.
  3. Web site: For Diversifying the Bar: Lawyers Make History Project. Law Society of Ontario . 5 October 2020 . 14 November 2011.
  4. Web site: Medal Speech Transcript. Law Society of Ontario Gazette . May 2013.
  5. Web site: Awards 2013: The Law Society Medal . Law Society of Ontario Gazette . 30 September 2018 . 27 April 2013.
  6. Web site: For Diversifying the Bar: Lawyers Make History Project. Law Society of Ontario . 5 October 2020 . 14 November 2011.
  7. Web site: Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia . University of Saskatchewan . 5 October 2020.
  8. Web site: Law Society of Ontario Gazette. Law Society of Ontario. 7 October 2020. 19 September 2019.
  9. Web site: Royal Canadian Moutned Police v. Saskatchewan (Commission of Inquiry), 1992 CanLII 8294 (SK CA). Canadian Legal Information Institute . 6 August 1992.
  10. Web site: Cuthand: Opekokew making a difference in law career . Saskatoon Star Phoenix . 5 October 2019.
  11. Web site: Fennario . Tom . Oct 26, 2023 . Buffy Sainte-Marie speaks out regarding questions of Cree ancestry . APTN.
  12. Web site: For Diversifying the Bar: Lawyers Make History Project. Law Society of Ontario . 5 October 2020 . 14 November 2011.
  13. Web site: For Diversifying the Bar: Lawyers Make History Project. Law Society of Ontario . 5 October 2020 . 14 November 2011.
  14. Web site: Annual Report 2017. Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat. 6 October 2020. 18 July 2018.
  15. Web site: Annual Report 2017. Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat. 6 October 2020. 18 July 2018.
  16. Web site: For Diversifying the Bar: Lawyers Make History Project. Law Society of Ontario . 5 October 2020 . 14 November 2011.
  17. News: 2009 Aboriginal Achievement Awards Recipients . 30 September 2018 . The Nation: Cree News . 16 March 2009.
  18. Web site: Indspire A richer life for Indigenous youth starts here. 2020-10-26. Indspire. en-US.
  19. Web site: 2019-02-27. 2019 Annual Awards. 2020-10-26. WLAO - Women's Law Association of Ontario. en-CA.
  20. Web site: 2013. Indigenous lawyer recognized with medal. 30 September 2018. Aboriginal Multi-Media Society. en.
  21. Web site: Law Society of Ontario Medal. October 26, 2020.
  22. News: Adam . Betty Ann . Lawyer Delia Opekokew recognized at Strength of Our Women awards . 30 September 2018 . Saskatoon StarPhoenix . 10 September 2016.
  23. Book: Opekokew, Delia. The First Nations: Indian government and the Canadian Confederation. Federation of Saskatchewan Indians. 1980. Saskatoon.
  24. Opekokew. Delia. 1980-04-01. Indians of Canada seek a special status. American Indian Journal. 6. 4. HeinOnline.
  25. Opekokew, Delia. Pratt, Alan. 1992-01-01. The treaty right to education in Saskatchewan. The Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice. 12. 3. HeinOnline.

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