Lawyer listened to his Kohkom

Shaun Emes credits his Kohkom for instilling in him the importance of getting an education.

The Métis from Lac St. Anne saw his hard work, dedication and grandfather’s advice all come to fruition when he was called to the bar in August.

“I thought to myself, ‘Is this really happening?’” said Emes.

At a young age Emes knew he wanted to acquire a formal education and the inspiration of his Kohkom, who spoke broken English, made it possible. As Emes went through high school and post secondary education, he would always come back to this advice, which allowed him to strive for academic excellence.
Emes remembers having exceptional teachers growing up, who worked extra hours to assist him with his reading and writing.

When he graduated from high school, Emes attended the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and graduated with straight A’s and a two-year Business Law diploma.
He then made the decision to attend the University of Alberta, where he convocated in 2005 with a B.A. in Native Studies and a minor in sociology. After completing his degree, Emes worked for a year to gain experience before a friend suggested they write the LSAT together. With coaxing from his friend, Emes took the exam and passed with a high mark. Eventually he was accepted to attend law school by the U of A and University of Victoria. 

It was a challenge as an Aboriginal person to attend school away from his community, family and Kohkom, said Emes, but he knew it was what he wanted to achieve.

With the support of his family and as a recipient of the Belcourt Brosseau Métis Award, Emes was successful in achieving his legal studies.

Presently, Emes practices criminal law as a crown prosecutor and likes to include the traditional aspects of Aboriginal story telling to intertwine evidence as he presents it to the court.  The story telling skills were obtained through the oral story telling ability of his Kohkom.

As an Aboriginal role model, he advises young people to “be yourself, be proud of your Aboriginal heritage, realize where you are and that the Creator creates these opportunities for a reason. Take it one day at a time, get involved and do not be afraid to be excellent.”

Emes is still connected to his Métis roots. His identity and family history run deep within the Lac Ste. Ann community, as all of his family members still hunt, trap and fish for subsistence purposes.