Myrna McCallum

Lawyer & Podcaster

“I always draw on my Indigenous culture, my Cree culture, imagine for a moment trauma has a hold on these people...trauma is a living breathing spirit, and it’s bear-hugging these people. As long as trauma has a hold of these people, they can not move forward into healing where healing is waiting for them and healing is really grief; grief is waiting because grief is the healer. You let grief come in, and you emerge from that healed, but trauma has them in this grasp, and when trauma is holding you, it’s hard to be loving, connected and it’s really hard to even be in touch with how you feel.” Myrna McCallum

Métis-Cree from Treaty Six territory (Green Lake/Waterhen Lake FN)

Twitter: TI_Lawyer

Biography

Myrna is the host of “The Trauma-Informed Lawyer” Podcast which serves to educate on trauma-informed lawyering, cultural humility, vicarious trauma, vicarious resilience, and Indigenous intergenerational trauma. Myrna’s background is in criminal law, Indian Residential School adjudication and human rights law. She serves as a subject matter expert and consultant on trauma-informed lawyering, workplace investigations, adjudications, and policy development. She also delivers keynotes, training and coaching services on trauma-informed advocacy. In 2020, Myrna received the Federal Department of Justice’s first ever Excellence in Legal Practice and Victim Support Award.