TERESA EDWARDS is a member of the Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation in Quebec. Her ceremonial name is Young Fire Woman, a name that she strives to fulfill through her work as an International Human Rights Lawyer. Teresa is a mother to three amazing souls – Ashley, Dakota, and Derek, and the grandmother (Giju) to Alivia and Avery, who all inspire her to work towards bringing equity to Indigenous Peoples by improving socioeconomic conditions and their overall well-being. For over 30 years, she has been a strong advocate for Indigenous Peoples by championing changes in programs, policy, and legislation from within government and while working with National Indigenous Organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations, Native Women’s Association of Canada, and from within her own legal practice.

Teresa has been the Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel for the Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) since 2017. The LHF is a national Indigenous-led charitable organization founded in 2000 with the goal of educating and raising awareness about the history and existing inter-generational impacts of the Residential and Day School System, Sixties Scoop, and other colonial acts of oppression on Indigenous Peoples in order to address racism and injustice and foster equity and Reconciliation. She lives in Ottawa, Ontario.