Steven Point

Steven Lewis Point, OBC ( Halkomelem: XWE lī Qwel TEL; born July 28, 1951 in Chilliwack, British Columbia) is a Canadian judge. From 2007 to 2012, he was the Vice- Governor of the Province of British Columbia.

Biography

Point was from 1975 to 1999 chief of the Sto: Lo belonging Skowkale First Nation. He came to the conclusion that he needs legal knowledge for dealing with government agencies and studied for this reason right at the University of British Columbia. In 1985 he graduated as Bachelor of Laws and was employed from 1986 to 1989 in a law firm. He then worked for the Association of Indian chiefs from British Columbia as well as for the Ministry of Employment and Immigration. In 1994 he headed the program for Legal Studies at the First Nations at the University of British Columbia, the same year he took over as chairman of the tribal alliance of the Sto: lo Nation.

Both offices were Point 1999, when he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of the province. From 2005 he led the British Columbia Treaty Commission, which should enclose various outstanding legal disputes between the provincial government and the native peoples. Governor General Michaëlle Jean sworn him on 30 September 2007 as Vice- Governor of British Columbia. As such, represented the head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, at the provincial level. He was the first representative of the indigenous people in this office and held this post until 1 November 2012.