Nova Scotia lawyer Mi’kmaw appointed to the Senate
Paul Prosper’s appointment follows the retirement of Canada’s first Mi’kmaw senator, Dan Christmas, earlier this year.
The appointment comes after the first Mi’kmaw senator, Dan Christmas, retired in February
Paul Prosper is one of two Mi’kmaw attorneys nominated to the Senate this week.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made this known in a statement on Thursday. The appointments were formally made by Governor General Mary Simon.
Prosper, who has more than 25 years of experience with Indigenous legal issues, will fill the Senate vacancy for Nova Scotia. He has been a “lifelong advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples,” the statement reads.
Prosper served as Chief of the Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation and as Regional Chief for Newfoundland and Nova Scotia in the Assembly of First Nations.
His appointment to the Senate follows the retirement of Canada’s first Mi’kmaw senator, Dan Christmas, earlier this year.
Christmas, from Membertou, was appointed in 2016. He left his post in Canada’s upper house in February saying he wanted to spend more time with his daughter.
Judy White, of Flat Bay Band in Newfoundland and Labrador, has also been appointed to the Senate, filling a vacancy for that province.
