"...Racism is real and it exists, I can handle the blunt in your face kind of racism. When I am duty council and someone says to me “I hate dirty lazy no good for nothing Indians “ I know how to respond, I can handle this type of racism. Why? Because it happened and we had a conversation about how that statement is wrong and racist, we learned from each other, shared tears and laughter and we grew from that experience, we are teaching each other to love and respect ourselves and each other. I have no doubt that person who said that to me will never forget that day and what we shared.

The kind of comments that I have heard working as an Indigenous lawyer coming from other

lawyers, colleagues and even from the bench tell me one thing: we have failed as a society to teach each other love and respect for each other, we have failed to learn from each other, we have failed to acknowledge the mistakes of our past and learn from them..."

"...When I started appearing in the different courts, Judges would look at me like I should be in the prisoners’ dock! One Judge told me that Native Courtworkers do not sit at defence counsel table. Another Judge started to ask me about my credentials (did I graduate from Law School). Another Judge literally GAPED once I appeared at defence counsel table and introduced myself.

At that time, I was the only Aboriginal female appearing in Alberta Courts. It was extremely

shaming and insulting to me to be challenged by the judiciary when I was a practicing lawyer! Over the years I became highly respected by the judiciary as they got to know me..."