Eleanore Sunchild, a Cree lawyer from the Thunderchild First Nation was recognized with the Queen’s Counsel designation in December. The honour was presented to her at a ceremony at the Government House in Regina in early January.
“It’s a recognition from my peers that the work that I do is important, “said Sunchild, “and the work predominantly that I’ve been doing involved with Indigenous people and their search for justice.”
Her practice, in the Battlefords area is primarily focused on justice for residential school survivors, which is the work she says she is most proud of.
“For the past ten years, I’ve been working in the individual assessment process listening to the former Indian Residential School students tell their story. To me, that is the ultimate form of decolonization,” explains Sunchild.
Sunchild’s advice for Indigenous youth who find themselves leaving their community to obtain a post-secondary education is to remember where they came from. “For Indigenous youth, always remember who you are and where you came from, “Sunchild said. “Always remember your people back home.”
Sunchild obtained her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta in 1998.
The Queens Council is to distinguish lawyers for exceptional merit and input to the legal vocation. The Minister of Justice selects the candidates through a process that includes discussion with the Canadian Bar Association and the Law Society of Saskatchewan.
(PHOTO: Eleanor Sunchild, courtesy of her Facebook page.)