Kajia Whelan is a Partner at Sequoia Legal LLP with a diverse practice that includes Indigenous governance, Crown consultation, economic development, Aboriginal Title and Rights litigation (including appearing at the Supreme Court of Canada), strategic negotiations, and specific claims. She joined the team as a new lawyer in 2018 after clerking at the Federal Court of Appeal, where she worked on landmark cases, including Tsleil-Waututh Nation v. Attorney General, involving the Trans Mountain pipeline. Kajia holds a law degree from the University of Manitoba, where she completed internships at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and the Public Interest Law Centre. She also holds a Master’s in Philosophy from Western University. Kajia provides strategic advice on leveraging Aboriginal and Treaty rights, establishing Indigenous-owned economic ventures, and drafting governance laws and policies. Her experience includes negotiating reconciliation agreements, consultation protocols, and benefit agreements for major resource projects. As executive member of the Vancouver Island Aboriginal Law subsection of the Canadian Bar Association, Kajia remains actively engaged in the legal community and frequently lectures on topics in Aboriginal law.
