UBC’s Sheryl Lightfoot appointed UN representative for the rights of Indigenous Peoples
Professor becomes the first Indigenous woman from Canada to hold position.
UBC professor Dr. Sheryl Lightfoot has been appointed as a member of the United Nations committee to promote and protect the rights of Indigenous people.
It’s the first time an Indigenous woman from Canada will hold the position of North American representative on the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“It’s very exciting to be taking this step at this particular time. It’s also very humbling because I’m following in the footsteps of some very prestigious leaders, particularly Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild,” said Lightfoot on CBC’s On The Coast.
The committee is made up of seven independent global experts who are tasked with advising states on implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).