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David C. Nahwegahbow of Nahwegahbow, Corbiere Genoodmagejig, has been named the recipient of the 2021 Award of Justice by the Advocates’ Society, an organization that works to promote a strong, independent and courageous Bar and build robust, effective advocacy both inside and out of the courtroom.
Nahwegahbow, a member of the Whitefish River First Nation, an Anishinaabe First Nation on the north shore of Lake Huron, currently serves as lead counsel for the Robinson-Huron Treaty Litigation Fund (RHTLF). He represents 21 Anishinaabe First Nations of the Robinson Huron Treaty in the ongoing Restoule litigation. It is a suit brought against Ontario and Canada for their failure to live up to treaty promises.
The Award of Justice honours “advocates who exemplify the finest traditions of advocacy in representing members of our society whose cause may be politically or socially unpopular or against the mainstream, and who make a substantial contribution to achieving the goal of social justice by championing the rights and liberties that are the foundation of democracy.”
Recipients must be lawyers in good standing of a Law Society in Canada. They are advocates that best combine the highest standards of advocacy with the role of representation of the unpopular or disadvantaged and who demonstrate skill and courage.
Nahwegahbow is one of Canada’s first Indigenous lawyers and a long-time advocate for the rights of First Nations peoples, representing them in land claims, treaty and rights and title cases. He has spent his career addressing and ending the systemic racism experienced by Indigenous peoples.
“David Nahwegahbow is a legal visionary, who has litigated or negotiated some of the most important Aboriginal law cases in Canada,” said Dianne Corbiere, Nahwegahbow’s law partner.
“Throughout his career, David has championed unpopular and complex cases for First Nations peoples, changing Canada’s legal landscape along the way. His advocacy cannot be easily imitated because his unique perspectives and advocacy techniques come from his experience as an Anishinaabe person. He follows Anishinaabe teachings and protocols to ensure that his clients receive the best counsel possible.”
The recognition is a long time coming, said Ogimaa (Chief) Duke Peltier of the Wikwemikong Unceded Territory.
“I am very proud to call David our lawyer,” Peltier said on behalf of the RHTLF.
Mike Restoule, chair of the RHTLF, added “He displayed honour, integrity and ingenuity as he put together a legal team that he led to the successes we have gained to date. He is a superb legal specialist. I admire him a lot.”
The Award of Justice statue, which will be presented to Nahwegahbow on June 17, is of a gryphon, which the Advocates’ Society says has a heraldic significance and ancient connection with the law.
It was said to be the offspring of a lion and an eagle, reads the society’s website, and is emblematic of watchfulness, courage, perseverance and rapidity of execution.