James [Sa’ke’jl Youngblood Henderson, one of North America’s foremost indigenous rights lawyers, was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris cause, “in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the laws, research and exploration of aboriginal issues.
Born to the Bear Clan of the Chickasaw Nation and Cheyenne Tribe in Oklahoma, Dr. Henderson has become a leading aboriginal philosopher, advocate and strategist. since earning a Juris Doctorate in Law from Harvard Law School in 1974. As a law professor, he created litigation strategies to restore aboriginal culture, institutions and rights locally and globally.
During the constitutional process of 1978 to 1993, He served as constitutional adviser For the Mi’kmaw Nation and the NIB—Assembly of First Nations and was instrumental in developing aboriginal and treaty rights. As a leading indigenous postcolonial theorist, Dr. Henderson was an authority on protecting indigenous heritage, knowledge and culture.
Author of several books, Dr. Henderson’s latest honour was the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for law and justice. He was also a Research Director of the Native Law Centre of Canada at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Law and a member of the Sectoral Commission on Culture, Communication and information of the Canadian Commission For UNESCO.