WHITEFISH RIVER FIRST NATION – Lawyer David C. Nahwegahbow of 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,” said Mr. Nahwegahbow’s law partner Dianne Corbiere in a news release. “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.”
Mr. Nahwegahbow of the law firm Nahwegahbow, Corbiere Genoodmagejig is being recognized for his advocacy work. He is the lead counsel in the Robinson-Huron Treaty annuities case.
A release on the Advocates’ Society website reads, “the Award of Justice is intended to honour 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.”
“I have worked with Dave since he was first engaged to take our treaty annuity case to the court, a case that proved to be difficult and complex,” said Mike Restoule, chair of the Robinson-Huron Treaty Litigation Fund (RHLTF). “From the start, 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.”
Mr. Nahwegahbow’s profile on the website states, “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. Mr. Nahwegahbow is a founding member and former president of the Indigenous Bar Association (IBA) 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, Mr. 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 25, 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.
The Advocates Society award will be presented to Mr. Nahwegahbow on June 17.
