Bertha Rabesca Zoe

Law & Justice (2025)

Tłı̨chǫ Nation, NT

“If you love what you do, you get the energy and you get results…To be able to be part of self-government, to see it grow and flourish, and working with our treaty partners in making sure that our obligations, the obligations in the agreement are met… It’s been a real honour to be involved in that process.”

Bertha Rabesca Zoe has dedicated her career to the pursuit of Indigenous self-determination. The first Tłı̨chǫ lawyer, she received her law degree from the University of Alberta in 2003 and has been a member of the Law Society of the Northwest Territories since 2005. After graduation, she worked at Pape Salter Teillet Law, a leading law firm that addresses Indigenous issues, and then returned to serve her community in many capacities, including as Director of Planning and Partnerships and Laws Guardian for the Tłı̨chǫ Government. She also served as Lead Counsel for the Tłı̨chǫ Devolution Agreement on lands and resources.

Rabesca Zoe was a key influence in the precedent-setting negotiations between the Tłı̨chǫ Nation and the Government of Canada, ensuring that the interests of her Nation were adequately represented in the groundbreaking 2003 Tłı̨chǫ Land Claims & Self-Government Agreement.

In her role as Executive Officer for the Tłı̨chǫ Government, Rabesca Zoe served as the connector between the Tłı̨chǫ Assembly, the Chiefs Executive Council, and Administration. Her life exemplifies the Tłı̨chǫ concept of “Be Strong Like Two People,” which means keeping Tłı̨chǫ culture, language, and traditions strong while living in the contemporary world.

Bertha Rabesca Zoe