معرفی
Brenda Gunn is a Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba, and an Expert Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2026-2028). As a proud Red River Métis woman and citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation, she combines academic research with activism to advance Indigenous peoples' inherent rights through their own legal traditions.
Her educational background includes a B.A. from the University of Manitoba, a J.D. from the University of Toronto, and an LL.M. in Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy from the University of Arizona. She was called to the bars of the Law Society of Upper Canada and Manitoba after articling with Sierra Legal Defence Fund (now Ecojustice Canada).
Gunn's research focuses on Indigenous rights, particularly aligning international law with domestic legal frameworks. She is a leading expert on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), having developed Canada's primary implementation handbook and delivered workshops globally. Her work spans constitutional law, international law, Métis law, and Indigenous women's rights, with consistent emphasis on self-determination and reconciliation.
Her publications reveal deep engagement with Indigenous legal traditions, treaty rights, and systemic reform. Gunn consistently addresses the rights of Indigenous women and the need to transform colonial legal structures through international human rights standards.
Scientific awards include:
- University of Manitoba Annual Outreach Award (2014/15)
- University of Manitoba Merit Award (2015)
Gunn actively contributes to the Indigenous Bar Association and Canadian Bar Association. She has authored NGO submissions to UN human rights bodies and participated in the UNITAR Training Programme for Indigenous Peoples’ Representatives. Her community work includes First Nations treaty rights advocacy and legal support for a genocide case in Guatemala through an Inter-American Commission submission.
