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TRIPARTITE FORUM
October 31, 2003
First Mi’kmaw Woman to win Frances Fish Award
Dr. Viola Robinson, member of Acadia First Nation, overcame age, gender
and culture barriers when she ended her homemaker career and started
her law career. Spending much of her life advocating the rights of Mi’kmaw
and women issues Dr. Robinson is the first Mi’kmaw woman to receive
the Frances Fish Women Lawyers’ Achievement Award.
The award honours and celebrates Dr. Robinson for her outstanding achievements in Mi’kmaw communities and her commitment to the advancement of women equality through her legal profession.
Candy Palmater, Aboriginal Affairs, presented the award to Dr. Robinson. Palmater stated that Dr. Robinson was a role model in many of her life decisions including the choice to attend law school. “Viola is smart, humble, patient, caring, kind, hard working and I could go on and on,” says Palmater. “She exemplifies, for me, what it means to be a strong Mi’kmaw woman and provides an example of what I want to work toward.”
Dr. Robinson gracefully dedicated the award to the Mi’kmaw people and especially the Mi’kmaw women. She admits it was challenging to return to work after being a stay-at-home mom but her family was highly supportive. She also said, “If Mi’kmaw women have something they aspire to do no matter who they are, what they are or where they are they should go for it.”
Acadia First Nation employs Robinson as an advisory consultant and land claims negotiator. As well, she is the Mi’kmaw co-chair on the Tripartite Forum Justice working committee. According to Donald Julien, executive director of The Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq, “As the Mi’kmaw co-chair Viola is a blessing as she has the ability to listen, explain and to promote equal and fair treatment for Mi’kmaw people in the justice system.”
Dr. Robinson was instrumental in advocating the rights of Mi’kmaw people and women in her involvement on many committees and programs. She and other individual leaders were successful in introducing Bill C-31. Dr. Robinson served as a Commissioner on the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. She also received an honourary Doctorate of Laws from Dalhousie University and the Governor General of Canada Commemorative Medal of the 125th Anniversary of Confederation.
The Frances Fish Women Lawyers’ Achievement Wards ere held on October 23, 2003 at the Casino Nova Scotia Hotel. Proceeds from the Frances Fish Awards dinner and silent auction will go towards reprinting the publication Understanding the Law: A guide for Women in Nova Scotia, 4th edition and ongoing work of the National Association of Women and the Law.