Steven Point

Steven Point

Steven Lewis Point , OBC ( Halkomelem : Xwĕ lī qwĕl tĕl ; born July 28, 1951 in Chilliwack , British Columbia ) is a Canadian judge . From 2007 to 2012 he was the lieutenant governor of the province of British Columbia.

biography

Point was from 1975 to 1999 chief of the Skowkale First Nation belonging to the Stó: lō . He became convinced that he needed legal knowledge to deal with authorities and for this reason he studied law at the University of British Columbia . In 1985 he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and worked for a law firm from 1986 to 1989. He then worked for the British Columbian Indian Chiefs Association and the Department of Employment and Immigration. From 1994 he headed the First Nations program for legal studies at the University of British Columbia, in the same year he took over the presidency of the tribal union of the Stó: lō-Nation.

Point gave up both positions in 1999 when he was appointed judge of the provincial Supreme Court. From 2005 he headed the British Columbia Treaty Commission , which is supposed to settle various outstanding legal disputes between the provincial government and the indigenous people. Governor General Michaëlle Jean swore him in on September 30, 2007 as Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. As such, the head of state, Queen Elizabeth II , represented at the provincial level. He was the first representative of the indigenous people in this office and held it until November 1, 2012.

Web links

• Biography on the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia website
• Steven L. Point ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .