It91裸聊视频檚 very rare to be both Indigenous and a lawyer.

Ethan Wood has done just that.

The young man of Cree heritage recently graduated from the University of Alberta law school.

He91裸聊视频檚 now a lawyer at Martin Estate and Injury Law in Vernon.

91裸聊视频淢y great grandparents met in the Indian Residential Schools, so to me it91裸聊视频檚 personal,91裸聊视频� said Wood.

91裸聊视频淢y family lost a lot of records because of the 91裸聊视频�60s Scoop. Trying to get documentation from the government is a challenge. I want everyone from Indigenous backgrounds to know what they are capable of achieving.91裸聊视频�

Wood, whose parents were teachers, left home at 14 to play hockey across Canada and the USA. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a straight A undergraduate degree.

91裸聊视频淚 feel disconnected from my heritage sometimes and I wish I knew more,91裸聊视频� said Wood. 91裸聊视频淢y identity as an Indigenous person has always made me proud and I tell everyone. Never be ashamed of who you are, know you have the strength inside you to reach your goals.91裸聊视频�

Wood has an interest in injury law, especially for sexual assault victims, and business law.

Standing beside him is UBC Okanagan co-op student Abigail Comeau, a young Metis woman who works at Martin Estate and Injury Law as a legal assistant.

The aspiring paralegal also has a message for young Indigenous students: 91裸聊视频淣ever think you aren91裸聊视频檛 good enough. My parents have shared their knowledge with me about being Metis. We are from the Kootenays. I still feel sometimes like I shouldn91裸聊视频檛 represent people because I have so much to learn.91裸聊视频�

Being disconnected from her culture was part of her experience growing up. In studying for a degree in Canadian politics at UBCO, Comeau is wanting to understand how laws are made. In her co-op placement as a legal assistant she is working in family law and wills and estates.

91裸聊视频淏eing Indigenous doesn91裸聊视频檛 limit me to one kind of law. I am interested in all kinds of law and in the way law affects everybody in their families and possessions,91裸聊视频� said Comeau.

Her interest in law started even earlier when she enrolled at Selkirk College after high school in the two-year law and justice certificate program.

She transferred her credits to UBC to earn a degree.

91裸聊视频淚 have always been an activist. I want to be able to make a difference, no matter the scale.91裸聊视频�

Okanagan lawyer and law firm owner Melody Martin is proud of both Wood and Comeau.

91裸聊视频淣ot many people know that the first Indigenous lawyer in British Columbia qualified in 1962. I was shocked that it91裸聊视频檚 so recent. The first Indigenous judge in B.C. was that same lawyer, Alfred Scrow, in 1971.91裸聊视频�

Indigenous people were unable to become lawyers because registration on the provincial voter91裸聊视频檚 list was a requirement 91裸聊视频� and they weren91裸聊视频檛 allowed to vote.

Today Indigenous lawyers make up only 2.7 per cent of B.C.91裸聊视频檚 lawyers, versus their population of 4.6 per cent. This equates to only 359 lawyers self-identifying as Indigenous in the entire province. The lack of Indigenous lawyers in B.C. is a big concern especially given the over representation of Indigenous people in the justice system, children in foster care and more.

That is slowly changing. In August, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominated an Indigenous woman lawyer, Michelle O91裸聊视频橞onsawin, to be a judge on the Supreme Court of Canada, the country91裸聊视频檚 highest court. Also, a record five Indigenous lawyers were recently elected as Benchers of the Law Society, the governing body for B.C.91裸聊视频檚 10,000 lawyers. Their successful election recognizes their importance in leading the legal profession.

Martin explains that historically Indigenous people were actually forbidden by law to fundraise for land claims or to hire a lawyer to help them.

91裸聊视频淭he law turned its back on the people who needed its power to fight injustice,91裸聊视频� Martin said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 more than time to change that. We need Indigenous legal professionals to bring their perspectives to the law and make it their own.91裸聊视频�

Statistics are not available for Indigenous paralegals, but Comeau wants to make a difference.

91裸聊视频淚f young people can see what they can become, the power of the law to improve people91裸聊视频檚 lives and make a difference, they will be inspired to join.91裸聊视频�