Indigenous Law Student Scholarship

The pursuit of social justice is generational.

Indigenous Law Student Scholarship


As part of our commitment to supporting the development of Indigenous lawyers, First Peoples Law offers an annual scholarship to an Indigenous law student with a demonstrated commitment to serving and advancing the interests of Indigenous Peoples.

Everyone at First Peoples Law is extremely excited for the opportunity to support the scholarship recipients in their studies. We are confident they will make important contributions to defending the rights of Indigenous Peoples across the country.

We are pleased to introduce the 2023 scholarship winner, finalist and honourable mention below. This year's winner and finalist received a $10,000 and $2,000 scholarship award, respectively. Check out our latest podcast episode for a conversation with past years' winners and finalists, Casey Caines, Raven Richards and Sophia Sidarous, here or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Applications for the 2024 scholarship are now closed. Thank you to everyone who applied. We're looking forward to carrying it on again next year. 

Meet the recipients!

2020

Congratulations to Taryn Hamilton!


Listen to our podcast episode featuring a conversation between Taryn and First Peoples Law articled student Charlotte Rose: Reclaiming the Law Part 2: Indigenous Law Students in Conversation.

Taryn, Nēhîthâwâk (Woodland Cree) is a proud member of the Barren Lands First Nation and a second-year law student enrolled in the Joint Degree Program in Canadian Common Law and Indigenous Legal Orders at the University of Victoria.

I will become a First Nations lawyer who works for and advocates for our youth, missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, men, and boys, and all of our brothers and sisters who continue to be disproportionately impacted by the Canadian justice system. In the future I hope to create effective law reform to help solve the over-representation of Indigenous people incarcerated. As a Nēhîthâwâk Iskwew I value the importance of restorative justice and finding new means of healing and justice through Cree law. I full heartedly believe that our Cree law, our own Nations traditional ways of knowing - will heal our people.

I am immensely grateful to be this year’s recipient of the First Peoples Law scholarship. I would like to acknowledge and celebrate every applicant who applied, I’m so proud of every single one of you. When one of us succeeds, we all succeed. I know how hard it can be to navigate your way through law school, and I’m very proud to be on this journey alongside so many amazing Indigenous soon-to-be lawyers. Our voices are invaluable, we are the catalyst for change and our knowledge can change the world. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the folks at First Peoples Law, thank you for your support and encouragement, I am grateful for your help.

Kinanâskomitin (Thank you).

--Taryn Hamilton

Honourable Mentions


Jodi Hancheroff


Tanisi, my name is Jodi Hancheroff and I am a Woodland Cree woman from the Lac La Ronge Indian Band in Saskatchewan. I am a second-year law student and currently President of the Indigenous Law Students’ Association at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan. I am passionate about the Cree culture and academia. I dream of working in the field of Indigenous law (i.e. resource development, Treaty/inherent rights and environmental law) and of eventually returning to my Northern community to open my own practice. I am truly grateful for the opportunity from First Peoples Law, tiniki.


Candace Charlie


‘Uy’ Skweyul (Good Day), my name is Candace Charlie. I come from the Kwa’mutsun (Quamichan) village of the Quw’utsun Mustimuhw (Cowichan People). I am in my third year of part-time studies in the JD program at the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law, and I work part-time for my First Nation, Cowichan Tribes, in its Lulumexun Lands & Self-Governance Department. I hope to use my law degree in whatever way I can to best assist Indigenous communities to grow and prosper on their own terms and according to their own vision.