TORONTO—A Wiikwemkoong woman has been recognized with the University of Toronto (UofT) Faculty of Law’s highest honour. Cherie Brant has received the Distinguished Alumni Award, recognizing a graduate’s extraordinary public leadership and lifelong commitment to the community over the course of their career.
“Later this week I am being presented with the U of T Faculty Alumni Award,” Ms. Brant, who is a 2003 law graduate, told the Expositor. “This award is an award the faculty gives out every two years.”
“One of the things that is exciting for me is that I am currently in my 20th year in practice, and they usually present this award to people who are retiring from the bench of the Supreme Court of Canada and similar accomplishments,” said Ms. Brant.
“The University of Toronto Faculty of Law Alumni Awards biennially recognizes the exceptional contributions of valued community members. The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes extraordinary public leadership and lifelong commitment to the community over the course of their career,” a release notes.
“I have been a practicing lawyer since 2003,” Ms. Brant said. She is a partner “at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) and independent director at Hydro One Networks since 2018 and Toronto-Dominion Bank since 2021.”
“I have been with Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG) since 2019,” said Ms. Brant. “I am the national leader for the Indigenous law group at BLG and member of the firm’s Environmental, Social and Governance Initiative. But my day-to-day job is working with corporate commercial clients.” Her commercial practice extends across a wide variety of sectors, including energy and transmission, land development and financing on First Nations lands, Indigenous infrastructure and economic development for Indigenous owned businesses and Indigenous governments. She also provides strategic policy and governance counsel to Indigenous groups seeking to exercise their jurisdiction and authority.
In an online post last week Ms. Brant wrote, “I am thrilled to share that one week from today I will be accepting an award recognizing my commitment to First Nations and professional accomplishments at UofT Law.”
“I can share with pride that I had to find my way in order to find my success. I started with small goals and then built from there. The first was to have money in my jeans. I started with a job as early as I could at age 13-14. My dad (Clare Brant) also motivated us with $20 for each ‘A’ mark I had in school and let me tell you it worked. I wanted that zhooniyaa (money) every semester so I could buy more jeans and Roots shoes.”
“The second was more of an aspirational statement that guided me for years,” said Ms. Brant. “I saw my life as a responsibility to build from the past generation. It helped me keep the struggles of growing up simple. I visualized that each family generation was like a rung on a ladder and my responsibility was to create the next rung. I would tell myself, ‘Cherie, you just have to get to the next rung’ and that was it.”
“The third was to get my Ojibway/Mohawk teachings which I did at the Anishnawbe Health Centre of Toronto. I completed several ceremonies and volunteered as much as I could. I was on a mission—get to the next rung. I had my vision quest by dream when I was 15-16 and it still guides me to this day.”
“I want to honour my past generations with this award and for setting up such a beautiful fulfilling path for me, my nookomis, my mishomis and my dad, I love you very much and know you are looking after me,” wrote Ms. Brant.
Ms. Brant, who is both Mohawk from the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and Ojibway from Wiikwemkoong, told The Expositor, “I was pretty surprised to receive this award. The Faculty of Law makes the final decision on the nominations. It is very nice to be recognized in this way.”
“My mom (Elaine) is from Wiikwemkoong and my dad from Tyendinaga,” said Ms. Brant. I grew up spending my summers on Manitoulin Island until I was able to work,” said Ms. Brant. “My grandparents, Rita and Adam Corbiere, owned property in Tehkummah, South Baymouth and Wiikwemkoong. I have very fond memories of being on the Island. And I think about my grandparents all the time, I was very much influenced by my grandmother’s entrepreneurial spirit.”
Ms. Brant also serves on the non-profit boards for the Anishnawbe Health Foundation, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and Canadian Club of Toronto. In 2017, Cherie received the Lexpert Zenith Award, a national award that recognizes women’s contributions to the law. In 2012 she was named one of Lexpert’s “Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40.”
