Election Firsts for MCK and AFN

By Kaniehtonkie

This past week saw tremendous strides being made on the national and local level for women in politics. Two women were elected as a national chief of Assembly of First Nation (AFN) and as a grand chief for Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK).

Akwesasne had reached this milestone years ago in 1963. Florence Thomas was the first female Grand Chief elected for MCA. She had replaced Alex Oakes in a 1963 by-election for the 1962-1964 term. Mary David had replaced Angus Bonaparte as Grand Chief in a by-election for the 1978-1980 term. Angie Barnes was elected in 2003 to serve as Grand Chief in the 2003-2006 term.

On Monday, July 5th, Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer was sworn in as the first woman and first person who identifies as LGBTQ2S+ to be named grand chief in Kahnawake. The 41-year-old served as a council chief for 12 years before she was elected as Grand Chief. This position was previously held by former Grand Chief Joe Norton, who died last year.

Sky-Deer hit the ground running in her new position, but she also took a moment to reflect on what her achievement as the community's first female and first LGBTQ2S+ grand chief might mean for future generations.

"If I can give somebody out there some inspiration that you can be in a leadership role, or be anything you want," she told CTV. "It's not a barrier, I don't think, especially in our community. I think we're very progressive in our thinking and that we take care of our families, we love our families no matter what."

Raised in a traditional longhouse way, Sky-Deer is also aware that the very political system under which she was elected is controversial - the band council structure was created under the federal Indian Act and has sometimes been run in a way that is inconsistent with the traditional, collective decision-making process of the Mohawk people, she said. She hopes to align the two in the future, 'returning to a governing structure more reflective of who we are as First Nations people'.

For now, Sky-Deer is focusing on healing within Kahnawake, "I don't think there's any family or one person who was not impacted by the effects of Indian residential schools, be it if our grandparents attended, parents might have attended, family members... so we're all trying to pull together and band together in light of this," Sky-Deer said.

Three days later, in a statement released on July 8th, Assembly of First Nations (AFN) announced, "On this historic day when the first woman is elected to head the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), the Chiefs of the AFNQL unite around National Chief RoseAnne Archibald, designated by the General Assembly after five rounds of voting. The Chiefs of the AFNQL assure her of their support, as their ancestors would have done at times in their history when they had to come together to be stronger. The AFNQL also acknowledges the honorable gesture of Mr. Reginald Bellerose who conceded victory as well as the dignity of all the other candidates in this leadership race, Mr. Alvin Fiddler, Dr. Cathy Martin, Ms. Jodi Calahoo-Stonehouse, Mr. Kevin Hart and Mr. Lee Crowchild.

Archibald was elected during the AFN Virtual National Assembly hosted by Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of New Credit.

Archibald is backed by a 30-year journey in First Nations politics that has included many firsts. She was elected chief of Taykwa Tagamou Nation at age 23, the first woman to hold that role. She was also elected the first woman and youngest NAN deputy grand chief and Mushkegowuk Council grand chief. She was the first woman Ontario regional chief and served since 2018.