Alberta swears in first Indigenous female judge

History was made inside the Calgary Courts Centre late Friday afternoon as the province swore in its first Indigenous female and Blackfoot female judge to the bench.

Karen Crowshoe is now a judge of the Provincial Court of Alberta.

It’s the second time she’s broken ground in the Alberta Justice system after becoming the first Blackfoot woman to be called to the Alberta Bar in December of 1994.

Much of the ceremony was done in the Blackfoot language and it included a prayer from Crowshoe’s nephew and a traditional song.

The court room was full of friends, family and colleagues for her big day.

Crowshoe will spend much of her time in the criminal court system but from time to time will also be asked to deal with family law and civil law matters.

She now becomes one of Calgary’s 32 judges in the Provincial Court.

Members of the judiciary, the Canadian Bar Association, the Calgary Bar Association and the Law Society of Alberta were also on hand to congratulate Crowshoe in this monumental step.

The new judge marked this moment by quoting a Mohawk gold medalist after the 1984 Olympics, “the glory of one Aboriginal person, is the glory of all Aboriginal people.”

Chief Judge Terry Marchett of the Provincial Court expressed 100 per cent faith in Crowshoe’s abilities.

“Our judges represent the frontlines of the justice system, we carry out our duties in a very public manner in a way very few occupations do, we must be always mindful the impact our decisions have on the day to day lives of those who appear before us,” he said.

In a statement, Crowshoe writes she is cognizant her appointment brings more diversity to the judiciary and she is confident that her legal background, experience and strong ties to her community will help her serve all Albertans in a meaningful way.