A lawyer hailing from Whitefish River First Nation has been named as the 2021 winner of The Advocates’ Society Award of Justice.
David Nahwegahbow is a legal visionary who has litigated or negotiated some of the most important aboriginal law cases in Canada, says said his law partner Dianne Corbiere in a news release.
She says Nahwegahbow is being recognized for his advocacy work including work as the lead counsel in the Robinson-Huron Treaty annuities case.
Mike Restoule, the chair of the Robinson-Huron Treaty Litigation Fund says from the start, Nahwegahbow displayed honour, integrity and ingenuity as he put together a legal team that he led to the successes we have gained to date.
Nahwegahbow is also a founding member and former president of the Indigenous Bar Association and received national recognition for several accomplishments over the years.
The Advocates Society award will be presented on June 17th.
Restoule adds his complete accomplishments are available on their website and is as follows: David C. Nahwegahbow is from Whitefish River First Nation, which is part of the Anishinabek Nation. The founding partner of the firm, Mr. Nahwegahbow did his undergraduate studies at Carleton University and graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa. He was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1982.
Nahwegahbow is a founding member and former president of the Indigenous Bar Association and in 2003; he received the Indigenous Peoples Council designation from the IBA in recognition for his advocacy work on behalf of Indigenous peoples. He received a national aboriginal achievement award for law and justice in 2008. Shortly thereafter, he was presented with the Anishinabek Lifetime Achievement Award from the Union of Ontario Indians, which recognizes the dedication of individuals who have devoted their lives to the service of their communities and the Anishinabek Nation. In 2010, Nahwegahbow was inducted into the Common Law Honour Society of the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, the Common Law’s Section most prestigious alumni distinction, paying tribute to the faculty’s most accomplished graduates.
On May 25th, 2011 he received the Law Society Medal, an award granted by the Law Society to selected lawyers who have made a significant contribution to the profession.