Viola Robinson
Viola Robinson is a Mi’kmaq woman who was born and raised in Nova Scotia. She attended the Indian Day School at Shubenacadie Reserve (Indian Brook), then went to the Sacred Heart Academy in Meteghan, and Maritime Business College in Halifax.
She has spent her life as an advocate for the Mi’kmaq people and for the human rights of First Nations across the country. While she is best known as the founding and long time president of the Native Council of Nova Scotia as well as the Native Council of Canada, her other achievements are numerous. She was awarded an Honorary doctorate of Law Degree from Dalhousie University in 1990. She served as a Commissioner with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. She completed a law degree at Dalhousie Law School in May 1998. She is a current board member of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. She is the Mi’kmaq co/chair of the Justice tri-partite committee of Nova Scotia. She has been a Senior Mi’kmaq Advisor on the Negotiations Team with the Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative in Nova Scotia and most recently been appointed by the Chiefs of Nova Scotia as the Chief Lead Negotiator for this Negotiation team. She has worked as a legal consultant and advised on many issues with the Acadia Band of Nova Scotia for the past fifteen years. She successfully negotiated a specific land claims settlement for the Acadia First Nation. She received the Order of Nova Scotia in 2009, and has recently been appointed as Chair of the Selection Committee for the Order of Nova Scotia. She is a recipient of the Human Rights Award by the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission in 2009. She is a recipient of Officer of the Order of Canada, in 2011 and recipient of Queen Elizabeth 11 Diamond Jubilee Medal, in 2012.