Eileen Sasakamoose

Eileen Sasakamoose, maiden name Eileen Powless, passed away peacefully in the early morning of October 2, 2025, in Edmonton, Alberta. She was born on July 22, 1957, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1983 from the University of Alberta and her Bachelor of Laws degree in 1987 from the University of Saskatchewan.

She joined the Law Society of Alberta in 1988, becoming the first Dene woman to become a lawyer in Alberta. In the same year, she was the founding director of the Indigenous Bar Association. She was the first Dene woman to join the Law Society of Northwest Territories in 1989. She was appointed Indigenous Peoples Counsel by the members of the IBA in 2014. She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women in Law Leadership, a prestigious non-profit organization representing women lawyers across Canada, in 2024. She was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025. Her areas of practice included a wide range of disciplines such as administrative, business, and family law. She worked passionately to serve Indigenous communities around Alberta for the 37 years she was a lawyer, driving many kilometres, as far as it is to the moon and back, to provide legal counsel. Additionally, she articled two students during her career, Koren Lighting-Earle and Sherri-Anne Turner, two women who greatly influenced her life and her career. Eileen Sasakamoose also worked very closely with the Morning Sky Health and Wellness Society in Frog Lake over her career and greatly appreciated the work she accomplished with them. She also worked closely with Samson Cree Nation over her entire career.

Eileen Sasakamoose had a strong faith in the Church and was a committed Catholic parishioner. She went to church every Sunday and was an Enoch Church council member along with her husband, Leo. She volunteered her time and money to ensure that her church thrived. She also hand-made prayer cards, and along with her husband’s handmade rosaries, would give them out for free at Sunday church and special events. She was always looking for opportunities to spread her faith and her joy to others, which she most often did through Church events.

Eileen Sasakamoose was the daughter of Alice Powless and William Powless. She has three sisters, Mary-Anne Powless, Barbara Powles, and Theresa Powless and four brothers, Richard Powless, Ken Powless, Bob Powless, and the late Gorden Powless. Eileen was happily married to Leo Sasakamoose for 31 years and had two children, Joshua Sasakamoose and Matthew Sasakamoose. She lived her life to help those around her and accomplished that goal to the fullest extent, which we will live to carry on her legacy.