Marion Ironquil Meadmore, one of the 1st Indigenous women lawyers in Canada, left 'remarkable' legacy

Catherine Moreau · CBC News

· Posted: May 12, 2025 1:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

One of the archetypal Indigenous women called to the bar in Canada is being remembered for her ambitious enactment and enduring bequest that continue to benefit First Nations radical successful Winnipeg today.

Marion Lillian Ironquil Meadmore was 89 erstwhile she died successful Winnipeg on Feb. 19, her obituary says. 

Ironquil Meadmore was born in 1936 connected the Peepeekisis Cree Nation successful Saskatchewan. Her father, Joe Ironquil, was Ojibway, and her mother, Helen Poitras, was Cree and Métis.

Her telephone to the Manitoba Bar connected June 29, 1978, made her a pioneer and an inspiration to many, including Karine Pelletier, who is now the seat of the Manitoba Labour Board.

Pelletier said she and her classmates looked up to Ironquil Meadmore while they were successful instrumentality school in the aboriginal 2000s, and that she was particularly inspired by the information that Ironquil Meadmore was 42 erstwhile she was archetypal called to the bar.

"She's a spot of an inspiration to me, having myself completed a master's grade aboriginal successful life," said Pelletier.

By the clip Ironquil Meadmore graduated, she had been joined for implicit 20 years to former Winnipeg Blue Bombers subordinate Ron Meadmore and had raised their 3 boys.

Although her ineligible vocation was short-lived — she was a practising subordinate of the Manitoba Law Society for six years — she inactive managed to interruption down barriers.

She co-founded Winnipeg's archetypal all-female instrumentality steadfast successful Winnipeg.

She besides had a pivotal relation successful the improvement of the Canadian Indian Lawyers Association, present the Indigenous Bar Association successful Canada, according to the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

But Ironquil Meadmore's ineligible vocation was conscionable portion of her legacy.

The Law Society of Manitoba's newsletter, Communiqué, described Meadmore arsenic a "champion for Indigenous self-governance and economical development" successful a tribute this month.

In 1959, Ironquil Meadmore co-founded Canada's archetypal Indigenous and Métis Friendship Centre and, successful 1963, the precursors to the organizations present known arsenic the Assembly of First Nations and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, her obituary says.

"Marion was a unit for change, a visionary who built institutions that proceed to beforehand First Nations sovereignty, rights, and self-determination," Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson said successful a quality merchandise successful February.

Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand remembers archetypal gathering Ironquil Meadmore portion helium was progressive successful the Friendship Centre movement.

He said Ironquil Meadmore's work to create friendship centres was "only 1 of the contributions she made to advancing reconciliation successful Canada, astatine a clip wherever precise fewer Canadians understood the value of this work."

'Remarkably forward-thinking'

She besides co-founded Kinew Housing, the country's archetypal non-profit lodging corporation, successful 1970. The enactment was calved retired of a interest astir entree to affordable lodging for Indigenous radical successful Winnipeg, the non-profit's website says.

The enactment presently owns, manages and rents astir 400 Winnipeg houses to Indigenous radical astatine little cost, according to the province's 211 service.

Ironquil Meadmore described radical moving to Winnipeg from First Nations communities arsenic "economic refugees," said Shaun Loney, a Winnipeg social endeavor activist who considered Ironquil Meadmore a mentor.

"Their economies were collapsing astatine location due to the fact that of the rules of governments and due to the fact that of what Indian agents were doing," Loney said.

"[Kinew Housing is] truly an look of however she understood Indigenous economies successful a modern setting, that we don't physique wealthiness for ourselves, we physique it for each other," helium said. 

Loney besides thinks making Kinew Housing a non-profit was "just remarkably forward-thinking."

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew described Ironquil Meadmore's passing arsenic a "profound loss" for the province, calling her a trailblazer, an accomplished jock and a person successful Indigenous governance.

"She leaves down a bequest of resilience and achievement," Kinew said successful a statement.

In athletics, Ironquil Meadmore was an organizer and pitcher for the Arrowettes, a women's shot squad that played successful Winnipeg's North End for astir 2 decades, her obituary says.

The squad represented Manitoba astatine the archetypal North American Indigenous Games successful 1990, with Ironquil Meadmore helping Manitoba clinch a golden medal successful shot and a bronze successful archery, her obituary says.

Loney said the adversity that Ironquil Meadmore faced passim her beingness did not support her from success.

"It wouldn't person been that casual for her, particularly since she went to residential schoolhouse and she didn't person a precise bully acquisition there," helium said.

Even astatine the extremity of her life, Parkinson's illness didn't forestall her from uncovering a mode to explicit her ideas, Loney said, arsenic helium and his woman helped her constitute thoughts down connected insubstantial erstwhile she was incapable to bash truthful alone.

Ironquil Meadmore was 1 of 5 radical to person an honorary doctorate from the University of Manitoba astatine the 2024 outpouring convocation.

"The code that her lad work connected her behalf was brilliant," Loney said.

Ironquil Meadmore's accomplishments besides earned her the Order of Canada successful 1985. 

Loney says she near an enduring bequest that continues to benefit First Nations radical successful Winnipeg, calling her "one of the astir singular radical that has ever called Winnipeg home."

"There's thousands of Winnipeggers that are surviving successful lodging acknowledgment to the enactment she founded. There's organizations that are lobbying hard for the rights of Indigenous peoples, and she founded those," helium said.

"There's radical gathering successful places she created, so I deliberation Winnipeg would beryllium a batch much dreary without her and a batch little hopeful."