Sheryl Lightfoot appointed United Nations chair on Indigenous peoples’ rights

For Thandi Fletcher Dr. Sheryl Lightfoot, a world expert on global Indigenous politics and professor at the University of British Columbia, has been named the chair of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The announcement marks the first time an Indigenous woman from Canada has been appointed to the prestigious position. The last time a Canadian held the position was in 2012 when Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild was appointed chair. "I'm excited but it's also very daunting," says Dr. Lightfoot. "As the world has emerged out of the pandemic lockdowns, Indigenous issues have really emerged at the forefront around the world. These issues have existed for a long time but the impacts of the pandemic were often harder on Indigenous people and Indigenous rights. We have a lot of work to do to address this." Dr. Lightfoot adds that the appointment is especially important for Canada as it is "recognition of the country's leadership role in the declaration and implementation of the rights of Indigenous peoples." The  Expert Mechanism , which is composed of seven independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council, is charged with providing expertise to the Human Rights Council.