The Honourable Eugene Joseph Creighton (also Eugene Owns Many Horses) is a member of the Blood Tribe, or Kainaiawa, which is an integral part of the Blackfoot Confederacy.

Early years

After growing up on the Blood Reserve, Eugene began working in Aboriginal justice at an early age. In 1980, he became the first Chairperson of the Blood Tribe Police Commission. He then attended law school at the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...

, and was admitted to the

Law Society of Alberta The Law Society of Alberta (LSA) is the self-regulating body for lawyers in Alberta, Canada, established in 1907 which derives its authority from the Legal Profession Act of the Government of Alberta. Its main office is located in Calgary. As ...

in 1986. He was one of the first members of the Blood Tribe to become a lawyer. He has consistently inspired the Blood youth to carry on their education. He is interested in Rodeo and animal husbandry.

Aboriginal lawyer

Eugene practiced law as Counsel to the Blood Tribe from 1986 until 1994. In 1994, he joined the Calgary law firm then known as Walsh Wilkins LLP located nearby in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

. In 1999, he joined the partnership, and in 2002 the Firm became Walsh Wilkins Creighton LLP (now Walsh LLP effective June 1, 2012). In his career at Walsh Wilkins Creighton, Eugene acted for various

First Nation Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

s and First Nation organizations in negotiating claims and agreements, and provided an integral perspective for those other members of the firm also practicing in this area. Eugene has conducted workshops and lectures on a wide variety of topics and Aboriginal issues in the community, and at the

University of Lethbridge , mottoeng = ''Let there be light'' , type = Public , established = , academic_affiliations = Universities Canada , endowment = $73 million (2019) , chancellor = Charles Weasel ...

and

Red Crow Community College Red Crow Community College is a college located on the Kainai Nation reserve in southern Alberta, Canada with a campus in Lethbridge. Partnerships Red Crow College is a member of the First Nation & Adult Higher Education Consortium, a non-profi ...

. In 2003, Eugene appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs together with Melanie Wells, another Blood Tribe member practicing Aboriginal Law at Walsh Wilkins Creighton LLP. There, Eugene and Melanie acted as Counsel for the Tribe and presented submissions on Aboriginal Governance. At the time of his appointment as a Judge, Eugene was working with the Blood Tribe to develop its Tribal Justice system, with plans to establish a

Provincial Court The provincial and territorial courts in Canada are local trial "inferior" or "lower" courts of limited jurisdiction established in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. These courts typically hear criminal, civil (or “small claims� ...

on the Blood Reserve, which would incorporate a Peace-Making model of justice.

Judge of the Provincial Court of Alberta

Eugene was appointed Judge of Her Majesty's

Provincial Court of Alberta The Provincial Court of Alberta is the Provincial Court for the Canadian province of Alberta. The Court oversees matters relating to criminal law, family law, youth law, civil law and traffic law. The current Provincial Court is the first point o ...

on April 6, 2009. In that capacity, he will serve the Calgary Regional Criminal Division of the Provincial Court.

Honours

*Eugene Creighton was named Alberta Aboriginal Role Model in 2005. *He was appointed

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of ...

in 2007. *In recognition of his leadership guidance of the Blood Tribe, Eugene was granted the name Owns Many Horses by the council of Elders of the Blood Tribe.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Creighton, Eugene Blackfoot people Judges in Alberta Living people University of Alberta alumni Year of birth missing (living people)