Pamela Palmater

Palmater's family is from Eel River, New Brunswick.[1] She is a member of the Eel River Bar First Nation.[2] Pamela's parents decided to move the family to St. Mary's area in Frederiction in hopes of giving a better life for their children.[3]

She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Thomas University in 1994 with a double major in Native Studies and History. She then graduated from the University of New Brunswick in 1997 with a Bachelor of Laws. In 1999, she graduated from Dalhousie University with a Master in Laws in Aboriginal Law. In 2009, Palmater obtained a Doctorate in Aboriginal Law from Dalhousie University Law School with her thesis entitled, "Beyond Blood: Rethinking Aboriginal Identity and Belonging".[4]

Palmater is active in the Assembly of First Nations and is head of the Centre for Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University, where she is a professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration. She worked for the federal government for over ten years, and was a director at Indian and Northern Affairs managing portfolios responsible for First Nations treaties, land claims and self-government.[5][6]

In 2012, Palmater was the runner up in the Assembly of First Nations leadership elections for national chief.[7] Her social advocacy highlighting Indigenous issues and missing and murdered Indigenous women bestowed many awards throughout her career.[8]

In 2021, Palmater began contributing to the online news website The Breach.[9]

2012 YWCA Toronto Woman of Distinction Award in Social Justice.[10]

2012 Women's Courage Award in Social Justice.[11]

2012 Bertha Wilson Honour Society (Inaugural Inductee).[11]

2013 Top 25 Most Influential Lawyer: Top 5 in Human Rights.[12]

2014 Canada's Top Visionary Women Leaders: Top 23.[13]

2014 Building a Better World Designation: Nation-Builder.[11]

2015 UNB Alumni Award of Distinction.[14]

2016 Ryerson's Aboriginal Role Model.[15]

2016 21 Inspirational First Nation, Mets, Inuit Women Leaders.[16]

2016 J.S. Woodsworth Woman of Excellence Award in Human Rights and Equality.[17]

2016 Margaret Mead Award in Social Justice.[18]

2017 Doctor of Laws honoris causa.[8]

2017 Award for Excellence in Human Rights.[19]

Indigenous nationhood: empowering grassroots citizens (Fernwood, 2015)

Stretched Beyond Human Limits: Death by Poverty in First Nations (for publication in 2012).

Beyond Blood: Rethinking Indigenous Identity and Belonging. (Saskatoon: Purich Publishing, 2011)

Our Children, Our Future, Our Vision: First Nation Jurisdiction over First Nation Education for the Chiefs of Ontario

In My Brother's Footsteps: Is R. v. Powley the Path to Recognized Aboriginal Identity for Non-Status Indians? in J. Magnet, D. Dorey, eds., Aboriginal Rights Litigation (Markham: LexisNexis, 2003) 149. Stretched Beyond Human Limits: Death by Poverty in First Nations (2012) 65/66 Canadian Review of Social Policy.

• Personal web site
• Lecture on the future Indian policy of Canada, 2012

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