Dr. Sherry Pictou, a professor of law and management at Dalhousie, received a 2025 Nova Scotia Human Rights Award last month in recognition for her leadership in advancing Mi'kmaq rights, revitalizing traditional governance, and confronting racism and sexism.
The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission presented Pictou with the Wel-lukwen Award -- one of five themed awards given out — in Halifax on International Human Rights Day (Dec. 10). The awards are presented annually to acknowledge the courageous work of Nova Scotians who advance human rights in the province.
Pictou is from Bear River First Nation and is Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Governance (Tier 2) at Dalhousie. Her expertise has contributed to global discussions on food security, decolonial research methods, and Indigenous sovereignty, reflecting her lifelong commitment to justice, resurgence, and the strength of Mi'kmaq governance and knowledge.
“I am so humbly grateful to receive this Wel-lukwen Award, acknowledging the ongoing work of not only myself but all Mi’kmaw,” says Pictou, whose contributions span community leadership, international advocacy, academic scholarship, and the steady work of teaching others to see the world through relationships grounded in respect.
Pursuing justice
She explains that although the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Final Inquiry Calls to Justice was released in 2019, followed by the release of the MMIWG2S+ Action Plan and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) in 2021, there is great concern about the slow pace of implementing DRIPA.
“According to the Assembly of First Nations, only two of the 231 Calls to Justice have been implemented as of 2024,” she shares. “It is integral for the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission to continue to carry out its work, and I am so honoured to be a part of that work as an L’nu Mi’kmaw woman.”
Pictou’s leadership is lived, visible, and transformative. She challenged entrenched norms when she became the first woman to serve as District Chief for the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq. Her presence in that role highlighted what had always been true: women have played central roles in Mi'kmaq political life and carry knowledge that continues to guide communities forward.
Where rights and sustainability meet
A respected voice in fisheries justice, Pictou’s work has demonstrated how human rights, treaty rights, and sustainability are inseparable. She has been instrumental in creating spaces for dialogue between Indigenous and settler harvesters and helping people understand how fear, misinformation, and racism can fuel conflict on the water. She has also led important research on the experiences of fisher women, documenting the barriers they face and the sexism that limits their ability to exercise their treaty rights.
“The work of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission to promote and protect human rights is part of a much larger system in Nova Scotia, one shaped by people who choose equity and fairness in their daily actions,” says Joseph Fraser, the Commission’s director and CEO. “Human rights advancements rarely appear fully formed. They grow from the steady, grassroots efforts of individuals and community organizations, like the remarkable recipients we recognized this year.”
Nova Scotia Human Rights Awards were also presented to Evan Treffler (Youth Award), Kevin Hooper (Individual Award), Andre Anderson (Dr. Burnley Allan ‘Rocky’ Jones Award), and L’Arche Cape Breton (Group Award).