GINOOGAMING FIRST NATION – Ginoogaming First Nation Chief Celia Echum has died unexpectedly.
A councillor for more than 25 years, Echum was first elected chief in 2007 and was re-elected last August for a seventh term.
“We are very saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend Celia Echum. Her sudden death comes as a shock to all of us, and words cannot capture the grief that we share with her family, friends, and the Ginoogaming and Matawa communities,” said Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler in a release issued on Saturday.
“Celia believed in a better future for her community and the people of NAN. She made tremendous efforts to improve her community and strengthen our Nation, and her leadership and friendship will be greatly missed by all of us.
“While our ability to grieve together physically is limited during this time, we want the community to know that we join them in prayer, and we will find other ways to offer comfort to the family.”
Echum, who was predeceased in 2013 by her husband, longtime chief and councillor Gabriel Echum, was a driving force behind the ongoing Ginoogaming First Nation Treaty land entitlement claim against the federal and provincial governments.
Funeral details have not yet been announced.
