Marion Buller
{{Short description|Canadian judge}}
Marion R. Buller {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}}, is a First Nations jurist (retired), practising lawyer with Miller Titerle+Co. in British Columbia and current chancellor of the University of Victoria.{{cite web |url=https://www.uvic.ca/news/topics/2021+new-chancellor+backgrounder |title=Backgrounder: Alumna Marion Buller named UVic's next chancellor |publisher=UVic.ca |date=2021-11-05 |access-date=2022-04-23}} Buller served as the Chief Commissioner for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls from 2016 to 2019.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mmiw-inquiry-launch-details-1.3704191|title=Marion Buller, B.C. First Nations judge, to lead MMIW inquiry|publisher=CBC News|date=August 3, 2016|first1=Catharine|last1=Tunney|first2=Kathleen|last2=Harris}}{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/08/03/bc-judge-marion-buller-to-lead-murdered-and-missing-indigenous-women-and-girls-inquiry.html|title=Female indigenous judge to lead probe into missing, murdered women|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=August 3, 2016|first1=Tanya|last1=Talaga|first2=Bruce|last2=Campion-Smith}}{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/09/01/marion-buller-missing-murdered-indigenous-women_n_11815678.html |title=Marion Buller, Head Of MMIW Inquiry, Has Been Touched Personally By Tragedy |first=Laura |last=Kane |date=September 1, 2016|publisher=Huffington Post}}
A member of Mistawasis First Nation, she was the first First Nations woman to be appointed to the Provincial Court of British Columbia in 1994,{{cite web |title=Honourable Marion Buller |publisher=University of Victoria |url=https://www.uvic.ca/socialsciences/careers/departments/anthropology/profiles/buller-marion |access-date=June 25, 2017}}{{cite magazine|first=Cheyenne|last=Pechawis |url=http://www.canadianlawyermag.com/3554/Doing-something-right.html |title='Doing something right' |magazine=Canadian Lawyer |date=August 20, 2015 |access-date=2016-08-17}} and presided in courts throughout B.C. She established the First Nations Courts of British Columbia in 2006 and provided the foundation for the Aboriginal Family Healing Court in 2016. Buller served as President of the Indigenous Bar Association and served as Director of the B.C. Law Court Society, B.C. Law Foundation, B.C. Police Commission and the B.C. Mediators Roster. Buller has lectured and written numerous articles and papers about Aboriginal law, criminal law, family law and human rights. She lives in Victoria, B.C.].{{cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/order-canada-recipients-june-2022|title=Order of Canada appointees - June 2022 |date=21 June 2022 |access-date=2022-06-29}}
Career
Marion Buller attended the University of Victoria where she received a BA in Anthropology in 1975 and later graduated with her LLB in 1987. Buller’s career in law was nothing far from noteworthy; she was instrumental in facilitating several organizations regarding Indigenous rights, women’s rights, Aboriginal law, family law and human rights. From 1988-1994, Buller worked as a civil and criminal lawyer in British Columbia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.uvic.ca/socialsciences/careers/departments/anthropology/profiles/buller-marion.php|title=Honourable Marion Buller - University of Victoria|website=UVic.ca|language=en|access-date=2020-03-23}} In 1994, Buller was appointed to the Provincial Court bench, making her the first female Indigenous Judge in British Columbia.
During her legal career, Buller worked as both president and director of Canada’s Indigenous Bar Association; a national nonprofit association of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit persons in Canada trained in the field of law. Membership includes judges, lawyers, political leaders, academics, articling and law students.{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community-Organization/IndigenousBarAssociation/about/|title=Indigenous Bar Association in Canada|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2020-03-23}} She also has been an active member of several other organizations such as the B.C. Police Commission, the BC Mediators’ Roster, the Law Foundation of B.C. and the Law Courts Education Society - a nonprofit organization that provides educational programs and services regarding the justice system in Canada.{{Cite web|url=https://cleoconnect.ca/organization/law-courts-education-society-of-bc/|title=Law Courts Education Society of BC|website=CLEO Connect|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-23}} Among the many other milestones mentioned of Buller’s career, in 2006, she was established the First Nations Court of British Columbia; a criminal sentencing court which uses restorative justice and traditional ways to reach balance and healing.{{Cite web|url=https://aboriginal.legalaid.bc.ca/courts-criminal-cases/first-nations-court|title=First Nations Court {{!}} Aboriginal Legal Aid in BC|website=aboriginal.legalaid.bc.ca|access-date=2020-03-23}} Judge Buller also developed the foundation for the Aboriginal Family Healing Court, a Court to address the return of Indigenous children to their families. Buller has written notable papers and articles which highlighted the inconsistencies within the Justice System regarding Indigenous rights, women’s rights, Aboriginal law, etc. She was also Commission Counsel for the Cariboo-Chilcotin Justice Inquiry which examined the relationship between the Cariboo-Chilcotin people and the justice system.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/judge-lawyers-among-commissioners-expected-to-be-named-to-national-inquiry/article31239780/|title=Judge, lawyers among commissioners expected to be named to missing, murdered inquiry|access-date=2020-03-23}}
In 2016, Buller retired from her position as Judge at the Provincial Court of British Columbia. After retirement she was appointed as Chief Commissioner for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which examined the systemic causes of the MMIW crisis in Canada.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/mandate/|title=Our Mandate, Our Vision, Our Mission {{!}} MMIWG|last=Bell|first=Brett|date=2018-03-04|website=www.mmiwg-ffada.ca|language=en|access-date=2020-03-23}} As Chief Commissioner of the inquiry, Buller oversaw the writing of the inquiry's two-volume final report, Reclaiming Power and Place which examines the causes for the disturbing statistics of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people in Canada.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/mandate/|title=Our Mandate, Our Vision, Our Mission {{!}} MMIWG|last=Bell|first=Brett|date=2018-03-04|website=www.mmiwg-ffada.ca|language=en|access-date=2020-03-23}}
In 2021, Buller was appointed as the 12th chancellor of the University of Victoria and subsequently began her term on January 1, 2022.
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
On December 8, 2015, the Liberal government announced the start of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The inquiry was set to conclude at the end of 2018. However, Chief Commissioner Buller requested an extension to the inquiry.{{Cite book|last=Buller|first=Marion|title=Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (Vol. 1a)|publisher=National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls|year=2019|pages=11}} The final report released on June 3, 2019, concluded that the violence faced by Indigenous women and girls is caused by state action and inaction. Within the report, Commissioner Buller refers to this ongoing violence as a “deliberate, race, identity and gender-based genocide”. Among many criticisms of the inquiry was the refusal of the federal government to grant the full two year extension that was requested, which Buller saw as another “part of this national tragedy”.
Awards
In 2012, Buller received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Victoria Faculty of Social Science. In 2016, Maclean's listed her as one of only six people who might be especially influential on policy in the Trudeau government.{{cite magazine|title=The Liberals forge ahead: Six people to watch|magazine=Maclean's|date=October 16, 2016|url=http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/the-liberals-forge-ahead-six-people-to-watch/}} Buller has received numerous other awards, including the Queen's Golden Jubilee which recognizes Canadians who demonstrate leadership and talent in performing and visual arts.[https://www.alberta.ca/queens-golden-jubilee-awards.aspx "Queen's Golden Jubilee Awards"] She also received a Diamond Jubilee Medal which acknowledges Canadian citizens who have greatly contributed to the country and brought great credit to Canada.[https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/medals/medals-chart-index/queen-elizabeth-ii-diamond-jubilee-medal.html "Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Medal"] Marion Buller received the Rosemary Brown Award for Women. This award recognizes a British Columbia based woman who upholds the values and ideals of which Rosemary Brown did during her life.[https://summit.sfu.ca/item/10659 "Rosemary Brown Award for Women."] She also received the Vancouver YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for Reconciliation in Action.
In 2021, Buller was granted a Doctor of Laws (h.c.) degree by Thompson Rivers University. In 2022, Buller was granted a Doctor of Laws (h.c.) degree by Lakehead University and was appointed to the Order of Canada.
References
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Category:Canadian people of Cree descent
Category:20th-century Canadian women judges
Category:20th-century First Nations people
Category:20th-century First Nations women
Category:21st-century Canadian judges
Category:Judges in British Columbia
Category:Members of the Order of Canada
Category:Activists from Vancouver
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement
Category:21st-century First Nations people
Category:21st-century First Nations women