THUNDER BAY -- On June 7, Sol Mamakwa became just the second person born and raised on a First Nation in Ontario to win a seat at Queen’s Park.
Born in Kingfisher Lake First Nation, the incoming MPP also became the first provincial parliament member to hold office in the new Kiiwetinoong riding.
The riding, created as a means to better represent northern Indigenous communities, is the largest in the province in terms of area. But its extremely sparse population of 33,000 people is under one-third of the provincial average for a riding.
Of those 33,000 people, 68 per cent are of Indigenous descent, making it the only Inidgenous-dominant riding in the province.
More than 50 per cent of the riding voted for Mamakwa in last month's provincial election. With roughly a month under his belt, Mamakwa believes he can be a voice for the voiceless.
“The structure that’s always been there has never served the North,” Mamakwa said. “To have the voice of the North in Queen’s Park, that’s my role.”
Mamakwa spent the bulk of his campaign visiting the 26 fly-in First Nations he now serves, and hearing the stories of the communities that have been dealing with human rights crises for a number of years.
“I’ve lived it. I’ve grown up with it... anything that’s decided in Ottawa or Toronto does not serve the purpose of the Northern constituencies I represent. I’ve always understood that.”
Mamakwa is looking for change. He said one of the first things he asked from the NDP caucus was support. But he’s not as confident the newly-elected Progressive Conservatives will be as agreeable.
“The Ford government needs to understand,” he said. “We need to address the needless debts and unnecessary suffering that’s happening in these communities.”
“We’re talking about human rights, access to water, basic access to health care.”
On June 29, the PC party consolidated the ministry of Indigenous affairs into a joint ministry with energy, and northern development and mines. Under the Liberal government, those roles were assigned to three different ministers.
The new ministry will be under the responsibility of Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford - the region’s only cabinet minister.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation issued a press release following the announcement of Ford’s cabinet minister, saying that “it sends a clear signal that improving relations with Indigenous peoples is not a priority for the Ford government.”
Before taking office, Mamakwa worked for NAN as a health transformation internal lead.
His rhetoric on the matter is largely similar.
“A part-time minister is not good enough for me,” he said. “It’s a very big file, and I don’t think he’ll have time to address those key items.”
