The young Indigenous activist Maïtée Labrecque-Saganash is entering politics. She will seek the nomination for Québec Solidaire (QS) in the Ungava riding.
The daughter of former NDP MP Roméo Saganash made the announcement on Sunday at a news conference at the Phi Center in Montreal.
She received the support of QS co-spokespersons Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and Manon Massé, who described her as a woman "of her word, of conviction," in addition to being a "model of social involvement."
Nadeau-Dubois praised the courage of his long-time friend.
"It takes a lot of courage in 2022 to take the leap into politics, in a context where elected women are the target of so much hate and discrimination, especially on social media,' he said.
Labrecque-Saganash is a resident of Northern Quebec and a member of the Eeyou Nation. She has been an activist for many years for Indigenous rights, self-determination and social justice.
If elected on October 3, she will become the first Indigenous woman to sit in the Quebec National Assembly.
The current MNA for Ungava is CAQ member Denis Lamothe.
"After years of right-wing governments, it's time to rethink our systems and stop pretending that Northern Quebec doesn't exist," said Labrecque-Saganash on Sunday. "The crises, like the lack of health personnel, the housing crisis, the lack of teachers, they also exist in Northern Quebec, and even hit harder."
A LOT OF EDUCATION NEEDED
The young woman accused Francois Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) of portraying Indigenous people as "pressure groups."
She wishes that the members of the National Assembly would be more respectful of Indigenous communities.
"At the National Assembly, it is easy to make decisions when the people concerned are not in the room," she said. "When I am here, I encourage those people who say such things about my people to do so by looking me in the eye. Already there, I think that the debates will be more cordial.
"We Indigenous people, just by our presence in legislative spaces, will be able to do a lot of education," she added.
Labrecque-Saganash said she sees QS as "the most progressive vehicle in Quebec" and a party "that is serious about creating links between First Nations and Quebecers."
In the last few weeks, QS has presented two other Indigenous candidates who have already been nominated: Benjamin Gingras who will run in Abitibi-East and Michael Ottereyes, in Roberval.
The party says it is taking steps to attract more.
In 2007, Alexis Wawanoloath was elected in the riding of Abitibi-Est under the Parti Québécois banner.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 29, 2022.
