b'RICING MOONForty Years of FightingDelia Opekokews impact spans generationsL Funny. Reflective. Passionate.By Jennifer Ashawasegai-Pereiraegendary. Gracious. Optimistic. Kind. Warm. Those are a few words to describe Delia Opekokew. Her career in law spans over four decades, and shes seen her share of change, having been instrumental in fighting for Treaty rights and Indigenous laws in the courtroom.Opekokew is also a woman of many firsts. In 1967, she was the first woman elected to the Executive of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (now the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations). In 1983, she was the first Indigenous woman lawyer in Saskatchewan. And in 1994, she was the first woman candidate for the position of National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (incumbent Ovide Mercredi maintained the seat).Following her attendance at Beauval and Lebret Indian Residential Schools, the member of Canoe Lake Cree Nation of Saskatchewan headed to the University of Winnipeg for her undergraduate studies. There, she received the schools bursary for first-year arts with distinction.Despite having a strong work ethic, Opekokew admits that studying didnt come so naturally. However, she had a good friend, Marion Ironquill Meadmore, who helped Opekokew develop good study habits. Every dayeven on Sundaysshe would say, lets go study, Opekokew shares. And then we played badminton after as a treat.The precedent-setting lawyers foray into post-secondary education didnt start out in law. So, exactly what inspired her to pursue the faculty that led to her illustrious career? Nothing. Nothing inspired me, admits Opekokew. I saw an opportunity and I took it. She and Meadmore noticed an ad at school calling for Indigenous students to register for a pre-law summer program at the University of Saskatchewan and agreed to take it together. Following the pre-law program, Opekokew attended Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in Toronto and obtained her Bachelor of Law degree in 1977. She was called to the bar of the Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario) in 1979. Later, in 1983, she was also called to the bar of the Province of Saskatchewan. 32 Fall/Winter 2025'