Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
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Volume 62 • Issue 33
NCN’s first female chief originally planned to serve her people as a lawyer
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
“I didn’t want to get my hopes up or just assume that Nisichawayasihk Cree I would win because, at one Nation’s first female chief point, we were waiting for says that before she was polls to come in from Winelected by the First Nanipeg and Thompson. That tion’s members Aug. 24-25, could have made things go she had her doubts about either way.” whether there were enough Levasseur has long had people who believed that a an interest in politics and woman could be the best wanting to serve her people, choice for her to earn a though she didn’t anticipate victory. that it would be as an elect“There are still some ed official. people who have attitudes “My ultimate goal was to that women are not the best become one of the lawyers choice to lead,” said Angela for the nation,” says the Levasseur in a phone interrecent graduate f Mitchell view with the Thompson Hamline School of Law in Citizen Aug. 29. St. Paul, Minnesota. Just as clearly, there are Others saw a different many people who do not path for her. subscribe to that idea. “I was asked [to run “That myth was defor chief] by community bunked by the people of elders, and the majority of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nathe elders were female,” Letion because they did vote vasseur says. “I was raised me in as their first female to honour my elders and to chief,” she said. respect them and to listen to Levasseur received 496 them. And they were pretty votes, beating out Felix adamant that I was going Walker, a former NCN to run for chief. They were councillor who has also pretty firm and pretty insistworked in many adminent that I run, so I agreed.” istrative roles for the first Politics is in Levasseur’s Nation, by 65 votes. Former blood. Her great-grandNCN chief Jerry Primrose father Angus Bonner was an received 358 votes and WilNCN chief and she herself liam Elvis Thomas, who has ran for positions with the run for chief a number of University of Manitoba Students Union when she was enrolled there and was also Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of Angela Levasseur vice-president of the Native Angela Levasseur, who recently graduated from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. American Law Students As- Paul, Minnesota, was elected as Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation’s first female chief by a sociation while attending 65-vote margin Aug. 24-25. law school. Even more important- plishment, because I was she said. “I want to move have a role to play as well. & “I want to see our leaderly, her mother served for elected as chief,” Levas- away from dependency on many years as the president seur says. “History in the Indigenous Services Can- ship encourage people to of the Aboriginal Women making is a phrase that I ada, dependency on social take responsibility for of Manitoba in the 1980s keep hearing over and over assistance, dependencyNickel on Belt their home, more News phototo by take Ian Graham ^ Z s / ^ again,her butexperiences it is truly a historin any way, responsibility for the reand 1990has and Levasseur Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles written a book about growing the up, government mostly in Churchill. pairs and maintenance of remembers attending con- ic moment. We are breaking shape or form.” BY IAN GRAHAM For home,” all the harsh weather to write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just bad,Native right?’ was not barriers a very safe say their ferences ofasthe through that thing have swallow To do when that, people the chiefshe says. “I EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET have all these stories and to figure out. It’s pretty clear IWomen’s do but I kept jumped at it. of know polar Association of to historically women outI that elect, Churchill who spentresidents 21 years and also the wantdangers people to Though she’s now written when I get through.” ICanada need toand capture them for that was exciting should somewhere deMeulles saidmainif it meetings of thought of the leadership.” workingjust asfiand teacher, says bears, how to do basic home a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really the plane landedchief and easier to live. beentoviable she Having a female there needs to be a focus on had tenance, be able to would do rethe Aboriginal Women of until ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because throwing “To say, ‘Those people have back to Churchmanystarted be a first for NCNthe in education. pairs.moved Housing and poverty Manitobathey withwill her.be lost if they Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” off times, and I realized, ‘Holy to our livepeople there. to They a heartbeat. “I got to hear some fuel recent but over the choose “I want be- ill areinthe very factors that Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for powerful She also has a reputation I was sittinga should just leave,’ is trainquite keep “I miss the shoreline, women speak cats, longer term,probably it is actually come educated, to get First Nations people inI Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. as a storyteller a bomb.’” simplistic. disre- miss the rock, I miss from all typesherself. of nations on return to tradition. ing. I want It’s themquite to achieve the position where they the are ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, and “I it had such a varied hisAnother thing that we were in and the polar bearsstruggling even though all of theirIf career goals constantly and was really inspiring “Prior to European con- spectful. always thought she would you know what, this his- tory andshe I would her on was the same boat in another area they’re dangerous go to college, go to univerfindingvery themselves toand be to me,” says.tell “Itpeople was a spurred tact and prior to colonizado. tory, this stuff that’s in my stories facing Churchill think wetrade would scream Idependent really miss and they would go, hard go to school.” different sort of education, tion, times the Cree nation was Isity, on the the Hudson govern“In my youth I never head, it’s going to be gone ‘That’s true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’tNCN they Bay,” she Isays. I go to get tonot hear very powerful matriarchal and matrilinLevasseur believes ment and want“When to reverse felt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’sspeak, true.’ They’d go, way the option to doofthat? home, standing on the operations women grassroots eal,” suspended Levasseur points put. have can leverage some the back the trend.” said. “But when I moved said. “My kids are not go- ‘You do all that, did north of coming Gillam last think right now they’re Bay looking on “We’re to aspring. point Itraining its members are Hudson Although muchouthas typesdidn’t of leader.” to Thompson to get into ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really used where to be awrongs really feeling they’reto pawns bay, itfor justher gives an history alreadylike receiving help the changed thisyou sumNow the soon-to-be NCN in “It the school of social work, and it’s something I’ve al- old.’ ‘No, actually community a political andissue. that’s incredible You feellaw so chief,I was wholike, has three daugh- thriving are beinglarge righted and the in it tackle thegame housing mer, fromsense. graduating at that point I had to write ways wanted my mom to Iters didand all athat before I was it’s just society dwindled forcreating them because feel great.” granddaughter, is and matriarchal is down being really “Wesadare a lotI small schooland toyou being elected HnDcleaningservices@hotmail.com for university and realized, do. My mom’s an elder and 27,’ and they went such a small population think the people Churchgot in the position to ‘What?’” serve as to restored.” of carpenters in of NCN who as Now NCN’sthat next she’s chief, Le‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, she’s an artist, she’s got so that book under hertaking belt, Looking some for of now,” really have the want skillstotothrive. build one vasseur says she’s type of back, role model OncedeMeulles she takessays. over the ill right?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things chief’s Though she’s not are there built their mayand try role, there a They’ve quality housing andworlds what deMeulles everythingsays in she stride upcoming generations. a lot of skill in university cause she always tells her she not do longer, parents and How would feel to produce number of her priorities Le- there. “Imight received a again. message any we need to do as awe nation having faithanother. that the Creator and came out of there with stories at Parks Canada in from “I did pretty bizarre sisterwants and other family if to you and will “I have another in onesome woman who was her vasseur to address, is someone to make came the investment help guide herbook along a very strong skill in my Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into she the members said, ‘I’m sorry, to me,” she says. are. congratulating me and includingstill self-sufficiency in materials thatyou are have not gothe right path. “It’s a darker Commercial Establishments, Offices, writing and confidence in hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at an -35,” said and “My cousin owns the leave home community about personhousing. ing toyour have houses falling story, “I’mmore very excited to work told me that as Indigenmy writing. I write very put Apartments Banks, Dealerships, it on tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t we’re growth and struggles. “I wouldstore likethere,” to see she our and apart,” shegoing said. to displace al with my colleagues,” she ous female she stands dawn taller hardware clear and that’s it. It’s there. for you because your story on me until after. That was a says. somewhere and all Maybe now because of this accompeople be empowered,” you Residents of else the homes said. in the next five years BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
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times, got 325. Outgoing chief Marcel Moody was not up for re-election, but was a candidate for council and got the most votes in that race, making him Levasseur’s deputy chief for the upcoming term. Incumbent councillors Jeremiah Spence, Cheryl Moore and Ron D. Spence were also re-elected. They are joined on the next council by Kim Linklater and Shirley Linklater. Shirley Linklater has served on council before while Kim Linklater is a first-time councillor. More than 1,600 NCN citizens voted in the election, including 1,149 on Nelson House, 252 in Thompson, 36 in Leaf Rapids and 190 in Winnipeg. There were also six mail-in ballots. The chief-elect, who will be sworn in along with the incoming council on Sept. 6, says it was a long night watching from the upper level of the community’s arena while votes were being counted down below. “It was a pretty close race,” she said, noting that it was nearly 5 a.m. before she left, finally feeling reasonably certain that she would be the winner.
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Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
is going to be lost,’ and she’s never done it and I thought,
very dangerous thing to do. Being on a plane full of fuel
Because of that, deMeulles finds it hard to
your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”