Graydon Nicholas

Graydon Nicholas is a Wolastoqey Elder, lawyer, judge, and academic leader, serving as Wihkwatacamit (a title meaning 'storyteller') at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Faculty of Law. He is Chancellor of St. Thomas University and Co-Chair of the Youth Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Services Review. A 1971 UNB Law graduate, he was the first Indigenous lawyer in Atlantic Canada, advocating for Indigenous rights through landmark cases like Simon v. The Queen. He served as a Provincial Court judge (1991–2009), Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick (2009–2015), and holds Endowed Chair roles in Native Studies at St. Thomas University.

His expertise includes Indigenous legal traditions, restorative justice, and constitutional law. He advises faculty on incorporating Indigenous perspectives into curricula and guest-lectures in criminal, aboriginal, and property law. Nicholas has received honorary degrees from four universities and is honored with the Order of Canada and Order of New Brunswick.