Marion Buller, an Indigenous legal scholar and the chief commissioner of the national inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, will be the University of Victoria’s 12th chancellor.
Buller is a member of the Mistawasis Nêhiyawak, a Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan.
An advocate for Indigenous issues and rights, she was the first First Nations woman to be appointed as a judge in British Columbia in 1994. A little over a decade later, she created and presided in the First Nations Courts of B.C., now known as Indigenous Courts.
She provided the foundation for the Aboriginal Family Healing Court conferences, and was appointed chief commissioner for the MMIWG national inquiry in 2016.
“Throughout her career, Marion has shown meaningful connections to Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities,” said David Zussman, chair of the university’s board of governors.
“Her legal expertise and leadership experience make her a wonderful fit for the role of chancellor for the university’s next phase of upholding our commitment to serving our community and continuing the work of truth and reconciliation.”
Buller completed her undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Victoria and says the experience shaped her views of the world.
While at the university, she gained the foundational tools required in her work as defence lawyer, prosecutor and judge.
“UVic law school mentors lit a fire in me that set me on my legal path,” said Buller. “Education transformed my life and because of my education, I was able to work within systems to make change. Education is a great gift that should be shared generously and wisely.”
She succeeds broadcast journalist Shelagh Rogers, who was installed in 2015 and is nearing the end of her two terms.
The chancellor is the titular head of the university and the chair of its convocation. In addition to conferring degrees and performing other ceremonial functions, the chancellor serves as a member of the board of governors and the senate.
Buller will begin her three-year term on Jan. 1.
