First aboriginal woman appointed as dean of Canadian law school

Angelique EagleWoman is seen in the undated photo provided by the subject. (AP / Tracy Rasmussen)

THUNDER BAY, Ont. -- A northern Ontario university says the new dean of its law school will be the first aboriginal woman to hold that position in Canada.

Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont., has appointed Angelique EagleWoman to lead the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law starting in May, a month before the fledgling law school's first class is set to graduate.

EagleWoman will leave her current postion at the University of Idaho College of Law, where she is a law professor and a legal scholar.

A biography posted on the school's site says one of the highlights of her career was serving as general counsel for her own tribe, the Sisseton­Wahpeton Oyate in Dakota.

It says she has taught courses on Native American law, tribal nation economics and law, Native American natural resources law, and civil procedure.

The site also says she has written about related topics, including quality of life for indigenous peoples.

"This position is a dream come true for me because of the faculty of law's commitment to produce lawyers for rural and small town legal practice, the focus on natural resources and environmental law, and the required curriculum on aspects of aboriginal and indigenous law," EagleWoman said in a statement.

"With my background, I feel especially suited to be at the helm of the law school as it moves from the start­up phase to taking its place among the other distinguished law schools in Ontario and nationally," she said.

The Bora Laskin Faculty of Law opened in the fall of 2013, making it Canada's newest law school.