Breen Ouellette

As one of the Commission Counsel lawyers for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Breen conducted the examinations of testimony for over 60 witnesses in nationally televised public hearings and in-camera private testimony.

Since leaving the National Inquiry, Breen has advocated for immediate action to end the ongoing apartheid and genocides committed by Canada against Indigenous people. Breen is also a steadfast promoter of universal, transparent political accountability at all levels of governance and decision-making.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Breen worked as the Director of IT for the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan. In 2009, Breen was directly involved in designing and implementing the IT infrastructure for the MN-S citizenship registry. This project arose in partnership with the Government of Canada as a response to the Powley decision of the Supreme Court of Canada. The Powley decision set out the first legal test for recognition of Métis rights in Canada. However, Breen no longer considers the Powley test to be an accurate measure of Métis identity, as it is based on the myths and prejudices of colonial Canadian historians.

Breen is also an eager genealogist and historian of his ancestral family. Breen feels a deep connection to his ancestors and the lessons they offer from across the decades and centuries.