Eskasoni woman goes from Mi’kmaq warrior to Mi’kmaq lawyer

By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post She’s still fierce. It’s more than ten years later, and Suzanne Patles’ demeanour is a little more mellow, but when she looks at you with those grey-green eyes you know you wouldn’t want her facing you in the courtroom. This is a woman who has gone from Mi’kmaq Warrior and on the RCMP “threat list” in 2014 to graduating from Dalhousie School of Law later this month. And not only graduate but with the honour of being the 2025 recipient of the coveted Donald Marshall Jr. Memorial Award from the Schulich School of Law. “I’m interested in seeing what kind of impact I can make within the legal system,” says Patles speaking from her home community of Eskasoni. “I knew…

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